kowtow
KOW-towverbMeaning to act too humbly and obediently in order to please someone powerful
Memory hook KOW-TOW: bow down to your TOES. Whatever bossy Pip in the paper crown says, Sami bows down to his toes: “Yes, boss! Anything, boss!” Sami kowtows.
The new player refused to kowtow to the bossy team captain.
In context Instead of standing up for her own idea, Rosa’s partner kowtowed to the loudest kid in the group, agreeing with every word he said.
Similar grovel, bow and scrape, fawn, toady
Opposite defy, stand up to, resist
From Chinese kòutóu, “knock the head,” an old custom of kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground before a ruler.