as in to flatter
to praise too much
a candidate who knows that you have to massage the voters if you want to get elected
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of massage
Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, massage the area, do gentle stretches, or place ice or heating packs in 20- to 30-minute bouts on your body.
—
Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
The bamboo is wedged into a workbench, the chef drapes one leg over the far end, and bounces up and down to massage the dough.
—Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Create some suspense and anticipation by going in slowly, starting with the head and just massaging it slightly with the tip of your tongue.
—Ian Kumamoto, Them., 10 Sep. 2025
For anyone who wants to try it at home, warm up a few tablespoons of coconut oil, massage it through damp hair from roots to ends, cover your hair with a shower cap, leave it on for 20-to-30 minutes, and then shampoo and condition as usual.
—Natasha López, Refinery29, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for massage
Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
The bamboo is wedged into a workbench, the chef drapes one leg over the far end, and bounces up and down to massage the dough.
—Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Create some suspense and anticipation by going in slowly, starting with the head and just massaging it slightly with the tip of your tongue.
—Ian Kumamoto, Them., 10 Sep. 2025
For anyone who wants to try it at home, warm up a few tablespoons of coconut oil, massage it through damp hair from roots to ends, cover your hair with a shower cap, leave it on for 20-to-30 minutes, and then shampoo and condition as usual.
—Natasha López, Refinery29, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for massage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for massage
Verb
-
The V-neck is styled in two sections that wrap around each other at the front, and the tall waist is fitted to flatter your figure while staying stretchy and comfortable.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Back in the mid-1800s, the logging industry in the West relied on trains to move the redwoods' tremendous tree trunks from the coastal forests and mountains to flatter, inland regions.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ohtani stroked a triple into the right field corner in his first at-bat Thursday and scored on Mookie Betts’ double.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The Tigers tied the game in the eighth when Spencer Torkelson stroked a two-run double off reliever Matt Brash, who wound up getting the win.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Earlier in the day, Knowles spoke with Sherri Shepherd on the Sherri show, and praised Blue Ivy for performing onstage with her mother in front of crowds of 70,000 people per night.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Nagy says Takaichi will likely praise Trump on his immigration policy, which has involved pursuing mass deportations and tightening restrictions on legal immigration.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some buttering up in your prompt can likely produce this.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Enter Rutte, who knew Trump from his time as Prime Minister, and who got to work buttering up the American president.—
Tom Nagorski,
Time,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
Markle publicly congratulated the couple and liked Swift’s Instagram announcement of her engagement to Kelce.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Deputy prime minister Simon Harris also congratulated Connolly for her victory which is expected to be formally announced later on Saturday.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Elevated by a low heel, the shoes provided a frosty sparkling accent to a light pink dress featuring one puffed sheer long sleeve with ornate embellishment at the cuff.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Bake in preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time, until golden brown and puffed, about 20 minutes.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Massage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/massage. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share