play up to sb
— phrasal verb with play uk/pleɪ/us/pleɪ/verb
to try to make someone like you and treat you well by behaving in a way you think will please them:
Julia knows how to play up to the supervisors - she can always get time off work when she wants it.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Praising insincerely or too eagerly
- arse-licker
- bow and scrape idiom
- brown-nose
- crawler
- creep
- fawn
- flatter
- flattery
- flattery will get you nowhere idiom
- glad-handing
- grovel
- idealize
- left-handed compliment
- massage
- massage sb's ego idiom
- obsequious
- schmooze
- servile
- slobber
- unctuous
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