verb

lavish praise and compliments on (someone), often insincerely and with the aim of furthering one’s own interests.

she was flattering him in order to avoid doing what he wanted

compliment,praise,commend,admire,express admiration for,pay tribute to,say nice things about,pay court to,pay blandishments to,fawn on,wax lyrical about,make much of,cajole,humour,blarney,sweet-talk,soft-soap,butter up,lay it on thick,lay it on with a trowel,play up to,suck up to,crawl to,creep to,be all over,fall all over,flannel,blandish,laud,panegyrize