攀附

to climb (of climbing plants) / to creep / to cling on to / fig. to seek connection (with the rich and powerful) / social climbing

to climb (by pulling oneself up) / to implicate / to claim connections of higher status

variant of 附[fu4]

to add / to attach / to be close to / to be attached

to cling to the rich and powerful (idiom); to advance one's career by currying favor / social climbing

to cling to the powerful and rich (idiom); social climbing