as in fawning
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 sycophancy
As mentioned at the start of this discussion, the usual assumptions are that either the user tells the AI to do so, or the AI opts to proceed in that direction due to being shaped by AI makers toward exercising sycophancy.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
And this sycophancy can cause serious ramifications.
—Arianna Huffington, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
But while sycophancy is a symptom of user-model interaction, communication bias runs deeper.
—Adrian Kuenzler, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Second is sycophancy, where AI chatbots tend to reinforce users’ existing biases rather than challenge them, creating echo chambers that amplify certainty in one’s beliefs.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophancy
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
And this sycophancy can cause serious ramifications.
—Arianna Huffington, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
But while sycophancy is a symptom of user-model interaction, communication bias runs deeper.
—Adrian Kuenzler, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Second is sycophancy, where AI chatbots tend to reinforce users’ existing biases rather than challenge them, creating echo chambers that amplify certainty in one’s beliefs.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophancy
Noun
-
According to Gaiani, drinking or using drugs before social situations is a major sign that your teen may be using alcohol to cope with fawning and to feel more comfortable or confident.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And this is where the Heat lose me, this adoration of a basketball player who is a very good player as opposed to a great player.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
It's called assassination by adoration.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The search would have covered hundreds of homes, nearly 80 hotels, numerous places of worship and at least two hospitals.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
While the vandalism in Oak Park may have been sparked by mental health issues, Metro Detroit has seen multiple Jewish places of worship being vandalized.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The early colonists were very much anti-idol worshippers and even modern Catholics, as Vice President Vance surely knows, have long been criticized by their Protestant counterparts for a love of statuary, reliquaries and other iconography that some have argued fall into idolatry.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Leo used his homily at Mass in the Monaco stadium to do just that, urging the faithful to reject the type of idolatry that has enslaved people in cycles of war and injustice.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As was the case with the white-and-green dress for her Pakistan tour, Elizabeth, in her fashion choices, sought not only to avoid giving offense but to offer symbolic ingratiation, and among the most fascinating garments on display are those representing diplomatic dressing.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Each chapter discusses a specific sales element, which includes such topics as goal setting, prospecting, ingratiation and listening tactics, empathy and much more.—
Larry D. Urish,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sycophancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophancy. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
