haul (someone) over the coals

phrase

informal
: to criticize (someone) very severely
The Headmaster was angry. So angry, indeed, that he did what in a more lucid interval he would not have done. He hauled a senior over the coals in the hearing of a number of juniors …P. G. Wodehouse

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“Haul (someone) over the coals.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haul%20%28someone%29%20over%20the%20coals. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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