as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to keelhaul him—it was an honest mistake, and a small one at that
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Recent Examples of keelhaul
And other than a recession, which generally keelhauls buyback plans, don’t expect companies to ease off their repurchases.
—
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
To hell with a class action suit, these people should have been keelhauled under the Staten Island Ferry for a year.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 25 Oct. 2017
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
To hell with a class action suit, these people should have been keelhauled under the Staten Island Ferry for a year.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 25 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keelhaul
Verb
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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The drama erupted last weekend when Jorginho went on Instagram Stories to say that his stepdaughter and wife were scolded at the São Paulo hotel for getting too close to Roan.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s part of it, sometimes, but multiple girls do that this week and then get reprimanded for not having enough family resemblance.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2026
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In footage that circulated on social media after Sunday's telecast, the 35-year-old Best Supporting Actress nominee and recording artist was shown reprimanding someone off camera while others stepped between them.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Joanna Fabicon, who has lectured on contemporary children’s literature at UCLA, added that educators, librarians and publishers must all grapple with the allegations against Chávez and decide how to move forward.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
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Thiel has previously written and lectured on the subject, arguing that the Antichrist is not necessarily a person but could come as a global government system.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Roughly 20 minutes later, the controller appeared to blame himself.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
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Cronin blamed himself for not finding a way to stop Connecticut forward Alex Karaban, who scored 27 points and helped fuel two decisive runs for the Huskies.—
Jon Marks,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Keelhaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhaul. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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