variants
also flunkey
or flunkie
1
as in servant
a person hired to perform household or personal services
since I'm just the flunky who files his papers, I've no idea where he is
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sycophant
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
a rock star who saw through the phonies and the flunkies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of flunky
Lou’s father runs the town, sort of like a low-level mobster in a mob that only employs flunkies and toadies with nothing better to do.
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Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024
Brennan’s flunkies created a fake online profile to access the network used by the Senate Intelligence Committee, whose Democratic members were at the time investigating the CIA’s torture program.
—Becket Adams, National Review, 9 July 2023
In episode 5, Manfredi viciously killed a mob flunky, Nico, who Tina said had molested her while her father was serving a 25-year prison sentence.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2022
And Julia’s cousin, the feckless Lord Cassidy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), is amusing as a flunky for Julia’s demands.
—Natalia Winkelman, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2022
See all Example Sentences for flunky 
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024
Brennan’s flunkies created a fake online profile to access the network used by the Senate Intelligence Committee, whose Democratic members were at the time investigating the CIA’s torture program.
—Becket Adams, National Review, 9 July 2023
In episode 5, Manfredi viciously killed a mob flunky, Nico, who Tina said had molested her while her father was serving a 25-year prison sentence.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2022
And Julia’s cousin, the feckless Lord Cassidy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), is amusing as a flunky for Julia’s demands.
—Natalia Winkelman, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2022
See all Example Sentences for flunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunky
Noun
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The 30-year-old has been a great Liverpool club servant but looks a little worse for wear this season.Carl Anka, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
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Harrison is a student with a true servant attitude, always taking care of everyone around before himself.Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, under white powder and red eye shadow like Joker sycophants.Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
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But that progress will be harder to forge if Trump follows through on his vow to mass fire civil servants and replace them with sycophants.Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Noun
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The current cast is rounded out by Alison Brie, who will play another Skeletor lackey, Evil-Lyn, Idris Elba, who will play the noble Man-at-Arms, and Riverdale's Camila Mendes as Teela, Man-at-Arms's daughter and He-Man's right-hand woman.Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024
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Among the most glaring examples is Ninth Division Commander Gen. Roh Tae-gun (Park Jae-hoon, excellent), a weak-willed lackey seduced by power and greed who’s based on Roh Tae-woo, Chun’s successor as president in 1988.Richard Kuipers, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Of course, being a junior senator and attaching your name to legislation that has little chance of being enacted—none of those have bills passed—is very different from being Vice-President and chief lickspittle to Trump.John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
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Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 7 July 2024
Noun
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Payton once counted Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer among his assistants with the New Orleans Saints.Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
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At one point, the blaze encroached upon the homes of Close and assistant Tony Newnan, who live near the edge of the fire zone.Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
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To be sure, plenty of companies are still committed to DEI programs, and not all executives are morphing into insufferable suck-ups.Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
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Back in the dawn of the Trump era — just prior to his 2017 inauguration — the line of would-be suck-ups queuing up for face time with the president-elect included a man with a distinguished name.Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
Noun
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The high toady will be 61 degrees and the low will be 39 degrees.Elainie Barraza, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2025
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Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Toby Jones, and Paul Walter Hauser all drop by to add their touches to an underworld majordomo, a dogged BPD Special Ops officer, a political toady and Boston’s single dumbest thug, respectively.David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2024
Noun
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The late, great ace inspired the first generation of Mets fans in much the same way Wright inspired much of the current generation.Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2025
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In one announcement to shareholders and one to fans, Ubisoft has announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows, already delayed out of 2024 to February 2025, would be delayed another month, now arriving on March 20, 2025.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near flunky
Cite this Entry
“Flunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunky. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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