play up to
Butter someone up
To play up to someone is to flatter or ingratiate yourself with them, typically to gain favor or advantage: He's always playing up to the boss.
The phrase suggests calculated charm rather than genuine warmth—behaving agreeably toward someone who can benefit you.
- flatterPraise to please
- brown-noseFawn obsequiously for advantage
- butter upFlatter insincerely for advantage
- curry favorSeek approval through flattery
- cajolePersuade through flattery
suck up to · ingratiate · apple-polish · blandish · massage · truckle · fawn · sweet-talk · toady · bootlick · suck up · kiss the ring · court · soft-soap · grovel · kowtow · bow and scrape · unctuous
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
treatment of authority/superiors
play up tostand up to
Confront without retreating
defy · confront · challenge · oppose · disrespect
play, player, playing, played, players, playfully, plaything, playfulness, playwright