apple-polish
verb
ap·ple-pol·ish ˈa-pəl-ˌpä-lish 
apple-polished; apple-polishing; apple-polishes
intransitive verb
: to attempt to ingratiate oneself : toady
transitive verb
: to curry favor with (as by flattery)
apple-polisher noun
Synonyms
- bootlick
- fawn
- fuss
- kowtow
- suck (up)
- toady
- truckle
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
from the traditional practice of schoolchildren bringing a shiny apple as a gift to their teacher
First Known Use
1926, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
apple-polishes
verb
as in bootlicks
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior a departmental supervisor who apple-polishes shamelessly whenever higher-ups are about Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- bootlicks
- curries favor
- truckles
- fusses
- toadies
- fawns
- drools
- kisses up to
- kowtows
- courts
- submits
- defers
- blandishes
- overpraises
- adulates
- sucks (up)
- slavers
- ingratiates
- endears
- gushes
- woos
- worships
- slobbers
- idolizes
- coaxes
- cringes
- cajoles
- cowers
- soft-soaps
- flatters
- grovels
- debases
- demeans
- yields
- abases
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- despises
- scorns
- disdains
- challenges
- scoffs
- defies
- jibes
- gibes
- braves
- jeers
- beaver poison
- beaver rat
- beaver stone
- beaver trade
- beaver tree
- beaverboard
- beaverboards
- Beaverbrook
- Beavercreek
- beavered
- beavered (away)
- beavered away
- beaverette
- Beaverhead Mountains
- beaveries
- beavering
- beavering (away)
- beavering away
- beaverite
- beaverpelt
- beaverroot
- beavers
- beavers (away)
- beavers away
- beavertail