Pronunciation: /kɪs ʌp, kɪk/pʌntʃ daʊn/
noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea
A1 I don't like people who kiss up, kick/punch down.
A2 The boss is known for his kiss up, kick/punch down behavior.
B1 The workplace culture encourages kiss up, kick/punch down dynamics.
B2 She was promoted due to her ability to kiss up, kick/punch down effectively.
C1 The politician's strategy involves a combination of kissing up and kicking/punching down.
C2 The CEO's management style is characterized by a subtle kiss up, kick/punch down approach.
verb a word that expresses an action or state of being
A1 She kisses up to her boss in hopes of getting a promotion.
A2 He always kicks down on his subordinates when he's feeling stressed.
B1 The politician was known for kissing up to wealthy donors while ignoring the needs of the working class.
B2 The CEO was caught punching down on employees who dared to speak out against company policies.
C1 The manager was skilled at kissing up to higher-ups while ruthlessly kicking down on those below her.
C2 The coach was criticized for his habit of kissing up to star players while punching down on rookies.
adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun
A1 He is always nice to his boss but treats his coworkers poorly. He is a kiss up, kick down type of person.
A2 She constantly compliments her teacher in front of others but criticizes her classmates behind their backs. She has a kiss up, kick down attitude.
B1 The manager praises the higher-ups in the company but belittles the employees below him. He is known for his kiss up, kick down behavior.
B2 The politician publicly supports his party leaders but privately undermines his colleagues. His kiss up, kick down tactics have caused tension within the party.
C1 The CEO is known for his ability to charm investors and shareholders while ruthlessly cutting costs and laying off employees. His kiss up, kick down approach has led to increased profits but a negative work environment.
C2 The celebrity is adored by fans for her philanthropic work and public persona, but behind the scenes, she is rumored to be manipulative and cruel to her staff. Her kiss up, kick down behavior has tarnished her reputation among industry insiders.
adverb a word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb
A1 She always tries to kiss up to her boss to get a promotion.
A2 The student was caught kissing up to the teacher in hopes of getting a better grade.
B1 The politician is known for kissing up to wealthy donors while ignoring the needs of the working class.
B2 The manager was accused of only kissing up to upper management and kicking down on his subordinates.
C1 In the corporate world, it is common for people to kiss up to those in power and kick down on their colleagues.
C2 The CEO was criticized for his habit of kissing up to investors and kicking down on employees who challenged him.
preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence
A1 He always tries to kiss up to his boss in hopes of getting a promotion.
A2 She was caught kissing up to the teacher by bringing her coffee every morning.
B1 The new employee quickly learned that the best way to get ahead in the company was to kiss up to the senior managers.
B2 The politician was known for his ability to kiss up to influential people in order to gain their support.
C1 The CEO was accused of only caring about kissing up to shareholders while ignoring the needs of employees.
C2 The celebrity was criticized for constantly kissing up to fans while treating his staff with disrespect.
formal It is important for leaders to create a culture of respect and equality in the workplace, rather than allowing a culture of kissing up and kicking down.
informal I can't stand people who kiss up to the boss but then kick down on their colleagues.
slang I hate when people brown-nose the higher-ups and then throw their coworkers under the bus.
figurative In the world of politics, it's common to see politicians kiss up to those in power and kick down on marginalized communities.
kicked/punched down
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kissing up, kicking/punching down
kissed up, kicked/punched down