as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
I was called down by my supervisor for not catching the accounting error sooner
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Recent Examples of call down
Derpetrossian was working with a hot shot crew with the Angeles National Forest when he got called down to help fight fires that were popping up around Los Angeles while the Palisades Fire wreaked havoc on the city’s Westside.
—
Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
Scott said, when he was called down to the lobby, James threatened his family.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
On July 14th, Etoria was called down to intake with a group of men of diverse nationalities.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
They are insulated with feathers from ducks or geese called down.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
And Josh still viscerally remembers a moment in grade school when he was called down to the office and accused of punching another student, mistaken for the other Josh Jones in his school.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
But with this team still facing question marks, the call down to Providence could come a little quicker than in past years.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Tax cuts and spending cuts have to go hand in hand, otherwise the cycle starts all over again as deficit spending goes up and tax hikes come calling down the road to plug the hole.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
Scott said, when he was called down to the lobby, James threatened his family.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
On July 14th, Etoria was called down to intake with a group of men of diverse nationalities.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
They are insulated with feathers from ducks or geese called down.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
And Josh still viscerally remembers a moment in grade school when he was called down to the office and accused of punching another student, mistaken for the other Josh Jones in his school.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
But with this team still facing question marks, the call down to Providence could come a little quicker than in past years.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Tax cuts and spending cuts have to go hand in hand, otherwise the cycle starts all over again as deficit spending goes up and tax hikes come calling down the road to plug the hole.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call down
Verb
-
The president himself scolded a New York Times reporter for asking about the cost and whether Amazon was seeking to get in his good graces.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In her car, Jessica Gabriel’s Lady is an avid listener of DJ Revolution, a fictional radio DJ who lectures passionately about the struggles of modern-day life in Nigeria.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
-
At her event, Acosta will lecture and facilitate a discussion about the Jeanes Supervisors.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
-
So far, none of the agents involved in the shootings has been publicly suspended or reprimanded.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
That leaves them out of pocket, at risk of reputational damage and in danger of losing customers who blame them, rather than the cloud services provider, for the problem.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), the Clintons criticized the committee for dismissing previous subpoenas issued to seven other witnesses on the matter of Epstein.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
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The powerful Murdoch media empire has been the source of criticism from Democrats for years, particularly in New York City, where the New York Post has relentlessly criticized, mocked, and uncovered negative stories about its Democratic mayors and politicians.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Rih dressed down the whimsy, in a white tee, jeans, and a fuzzyz white scarf.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Just dress down your oversized trench coat with jeans.—
Samantha Brash,
InStyle,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20down. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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