mutual praise; logrolling
Refers to people praising each other, often with a negative connotation of insincere or self-serving mutual admiration. The English gloss 'logrolling tactics' is a political term for trading favors; in Japanese, it can be used more broadly for any mutual back-scratching praise.
At the meeting, the department heads kept praising each other.
Mutual praise on social media sometimes looks unnatural.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, common in casual writing.
Compound of 褒め (homeru, 'to praise') + 合い (ai, 'mutual'). The combination straightforwardly yields 'mutual praising'.