as in congratulated
to praise too much
a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttered up
Verb
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After Biles qualified for her third Olympic Games, Owens congratulated his wife with a kiss while holding a cutout of her face.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026 -
Lush’s other co-founder, Mark Constantine, reviewed these lackluster bars and congratulated the pair on inventing something new(ish… solid was historically the norm in body and hair care up until plastic bottles took over).—
Kara McGrath,
Allure,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Was any draft decision of this team’s past quarter-century applauded more than Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert?—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The audience laughed and applauded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In his post-match press conference, Arteta praised the courage of his players to play short, even after the Emirates crowd weren’t pleased with how that first move failed.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The outlet praised a few heartier combinations, such as the Steakhouse Salad Stuffer, but argued against the value.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hunt commended the crews involved for their teamwork.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Walker commended Polis for his emphasis on mitigation and for preventing claims or reducing their severity.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Does all kale need to be massaged?—
Zoe Denenberg,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Davidson said four staff members massaged about two gallons of canola oil onto Elmer for seven hours while feeding him occasionally.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In her first varsity at-bat the next day against Lincoln-Way Central, Krauchun stroked a single up the middle.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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Ferrer then went back to the sinker, placed the 98 mph pitch on the outside edge of the plate and Merrill stroked it to left, clearing the bases for a walk-off win in front the remnants of a sellout crowd of 46,095.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bake in preheated oven until cookies have puffed and are set around edges, but slightly soft in center, about 11 minutes, rotating pans from top to bottom halfway through.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
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What emerged was an omelet of ideal and epitomic shape—straight, proudly puffed, about six and a half inches long and two and a half inches wide, with squarish ends and neither a speck nor drop of oil or liquid egg anywhere around.—
Jeffrey Steingarten,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lee Cronin was both flattered and frightened when Jason Blum suggested titling his The Mummy reimagining as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
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So you’re always flattered when people just want to have a conversation.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Buttered up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttered%20up. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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