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Dictionary.com

buttering up

NOUN
compliment
Synonyms
STRONGEST
admiration adulation applause blessing commendation courtesy endorsement homage ovation tribute
STRONG
acclaim acclamation appreciation approval bouquet cajolery comp confirmation congratulations encomium eulogy favor felicitation honor laud laurels notice orchid panegyric posy regard respects sanction sentiment veneration
WEAK
good word kudo laudation pat on the back warm fuzzy
Antonyms
STRONGEST
blame censure criticism disapproval disregard silence
STRONG
condemnation disfavor dislike disrespect ignorance neglect opposition refusal veto
WEAK
complaint denunciation insult libel slander

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Besides, Colby has long displayed a knack for buttering up his superiors.

From Slate • Jul. 8, 2025

The dinner service for the banquet dates back to George IV - and the motives, buttering up visiting dignitaries, are even older.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2022

The series opens with an epigraph from Nietzsche—“Without music, life would be a mistake”—and soon finds Cornelius buttering up his talent with monumental slabs of creamy fat.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 5, 2019

Mall operators are responding in part by upgrading their food game and buttering up desirable restaurateurs with the favorable rent and other concessions that used to go to department stores.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2017

Craphound was still buttering up the leather books' owner.

From Craphound by Doctorow, Cory