as in praise
excessive praise
a talk show host who is known for charming her guests with disingenuous flattery
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flattery
When an original design is copied, people often call it flattery.
—
Mecca Pryor, Essence, 9 Dec. 2025
Keeping his fanboy origins a secret, Matthew manipulates his way into Oliver’s inner circle using little more than flattery and an understanding of social-media-age mores.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The Grok flattery is embarrassing for Musk.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2025
The movie’s flattery of the audience, and of our supposedly superior conscience, is an expression of the same contempt.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flattery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flattery
Noun
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One that is more spiritually rewarding than praise or criticism in scouting reports.—
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Here in the United States, the writer and filmmaker Mike Judge has garnered praise over the course of his career for getting laughs out of broken systems and absurd ignorance in American culture.—
Noun
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Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating after each addition until just combined.—
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Peanut or nut butters can work in a pinch.—
Noun
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Andrew has always wanted more adulation for his two daughters.—
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The announcement came after a day of adulation for the visiting American president from his hosts.—
Noun
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One of that Courier’s founders won acclaim from his peers for his tenure as dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school.—
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In 1994, Chinese-American actress Vivian Wu garnered critical acclaim after appearing in The Joy Luck Club.—
Noun
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In reality, Lawrence and Stone are longtime friends (and future collaborators) who haven't been shy about voicing their adoration for one another.—
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Jerry adoration of football is well documented, almost as much as his first true love — money.—
Noun
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Don’t fall for compliments that don’t feel genuine, and don’t be afraid to confront whatever’s beneath someone’s sweet talk.—
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The odds are that such sweet talk is going to inevitably run out or at least be intermittent.—
Cite this Entry
“Flattery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flattery. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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