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kowtow

[kou-tou, -tou, koh-] / ˈkaʊˈtaʊ, -ˌtaʊ, ˈkoʊ- /


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.

Mighty Miranda must kowtow to the luxury brands and their ambassadors, whose sponsorship keeps Runway strutting, including the once-harried and humiliated Emily, who is now an executive at Dior.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Smaller domestic military budgets also reduce the need for companies to kowtow to politicians by maintaining unprofitable operations in their districts or supporting civilian projects.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

But consumer advocates spent decades ruing South Dakota’s choice to kowtow to credit card companies.

From Slate • Jun. 28, 2021

Tributary states sent semi-regular missions to the Chinese imperial court to acknowledge the superiority of the Chinese emperor and perform rituals of submission, known as the kowtow.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2021

But watching him kowtow to the grocer made me know it wasn’t so.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals




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