bawl out

verb

bawled out; bawling out; bawls out
Synonyms of bawl outnext

transitive verb

: to reprimand loudly or severely
Her boss bawled her out for forgetting the meeting.

Examples of bawl out in a Sentence

got bawled out by the boss for missing another important deadline
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trippier and Burn are organisers and not afraid to bawl out their team-mates. George Caulkin, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026 Women stopped to bawl out the police, who accepted this dressing-down with quiet embarrassment. National Geographic, 11 Aug. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bawl out was in 1899

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bawl out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bawl%20out. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

bawl out

verb
: to scold severely

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