as in to curry favor
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a departmental supervisor who apple-polishes shamelessly whenever higher-ups are about
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apple-polish
Verb
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The world saw this five-man group as an ideal of friendship, a community working and living together, fussing and fighting but making rough beauty out of it.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
21 Jan. 2025 -
Palmieri also has a 16-team no-trade list but, like Nelson, certainly should not be fussed about being moved to a Cup contender for a few months.—
Arthur Staple,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Symptoms of poisoning include upset stomach, drooling, loss of appetite, depression of the central nervous system, convulsions and irregular heartbeat.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2025
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While the animal may be seen drooling or swaying, which can spark fear of rabies, opossums are extremely resistant to the disease, according to the Humane Society of the United States.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The fawning coverage was not a product of quirky editorial judgment or an unusual commitment to chronicling the arts.—
Nicole Hong,
New York Times,
30 Dec. 2024
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After Netflix’s Rebel Ridge really put British actor Aaron Pierre on the map, everyone’s been fawning over him and touting him as their new celebrity crush.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
23 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Apple-polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polish. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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