pandering

[pan-der-ing] / ˈpæn dər ɪŋ /

VERB

cater to, indulge

Synonyms

STRONG

cajole gratify massage please satisfy snow soap stroke

WEAK

brownnose fall all over lay it on play the game play up to politic soften up suck up to

Antonyms

STRONG

anger annoy disappoint disturb frustrate upset

WEAK

deny dissatisfy refuse

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.

“The experience of being Arab and Muslim has been to be the object of hate by one party and the subject of pandering by another. Both of them are alienating,” he said.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026

She'd grown weary of pandering to pop tropes of the "strong, independent female"; and wanted to present a "more honest and vulnerable" version of herself.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

In turn, an expanding roster of immersive, cinematic TV made the medium’s cheesy jingles and pandering copy look and sound discordant.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

First, good on Mazzulla to straight-up treat the kid as the reporter he clearly is, and answer the question directly, without pandering or turning it into some sort of saccharine after-school special.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Ricky considered Luke for another second before glancing back to Doreen, a pandering smile on his face.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss