ingratiate

The theory, perhaps, is that ingratiating themselves to the locals during this week's tune-ups might soften the vitriol which comes their way over the weekend.

“He really has that servant leadership mentality behind the plate, which has really ingratiated himself with a lot of our pitchers.”

Andy looks like a human adult but behaves like an awkward, stammering middle-schooler eager to ingratiate himself with his peers by telling toothless jokes straight out of a Scholastic pun manual.

But when Oliver walks into the store, entourage in tow, Matthew makes a play to ingratiate himself with the pop star that goes better than he ever could’ve expected.

His efforts to ingratiate himself with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin have brought the war no closer to an end.