sycophants

noun

plural of sycophant
as in toadies
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead be careful not to mistake sycophants for true friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sycophants Will any other sycophants in his cult get the message? — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026 Who wants to stand with him, other than the sycophants in his Cabinet and party? — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026 Laws mean nothing to Trump or his administration of sycophants. — Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026 Trump’s worried sycophants probably know that the details of an eventual agreement likely do not matter very much at this point. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026 Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026 Republicans in Congress have become spineless sycophants to a president who only sees the beauty of this country in dollar signs. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026 Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups. — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophants
  1. toadies
  2. minions
  3. bootlickers
  4. lickspittles
  5. fans
  6. henchmen
  7. parasites
  8. flunkies
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of toadies
Noun
  • For example, a group of minions might be pretending to fight a group of Vikings on a movie set, or enough alien spaceships to fill the entire screen appear and shoot their lasers at once.
    — Parents, Parents, 1 July 2026
  • And minions have taken over Wendy’s frosty machines with a new banana flavor.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of minions
Noun
  • The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
  • These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of bootlickers
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of lickspittles
Noun
  • As whole house fans and swamp coolers can suck additional pollutants inside, the department recommends using air purifiers or air conditioners as alternatives when possible.
    — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Some disappointed fans lingered near the barricades and boundaries police had set up and were enforcing.
    — Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Definition of fans
Noun
  • And so does Jesse — particularly the latest installment, which sees the iconic henchmen find themselves as accidental stars in 1920s Hollywood.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • Now, Lilith must team up with Cinderella (Amanda Seyfried) to fight biker trolls, outrun evil henchmen, and escape the Screaming Woods on an epic quest to save the kingdom, but most importantly, their relationship.
    — Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of henchmen
Noun
  • It is caused by eating or drinking food contaminated with either bacteria, viruses, parasites or a harmful toxin.
    — Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Only in these United States can the progeny of people once portrayed as parasites and invaders side with those making the same argument about the latest batch of newcomers.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of parasites
Noun
  • Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
  • For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of flunkies

Browse Nearby Words

sycophantically
sycophants
syllabi
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Cite this Entry

“Sycophants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophants. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sycophants

Nglish: Translation of sycophants for Spanish Speakers

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