Definition of REBUKE

Choose the Right Synonym for rebuke

Verb

reprove, rebuke, reprimand, admonish, reproach, chide mean to criticize adversely. reprove implies an often kindly intent to correct a fault. gently reproved my table manners rebuke suggests a sharp or stern reproof. the papal letter rebuked dissenting clerics reprimand implies a severe, formal, often public or official rebuke. reprimanded by the ethics committee admonish suggests earnest or friendly warning and counsel. admonished by my parents to control expenses reproach and chide suggest displeasure or disappointment expressed in mild reproof or scolding. reproached him for tardiness chided by their mother for untidiness

Examples of rebuke in a Sentence

Verb

the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches

Noun

delivered a stinging rebuke to the Congress, calling for an end to backstabbing and arguing

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Mattis appears to be rebuking Trump for abandoning allies without consultation or planning. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Mattis’s resignation was a scathing indictment of Trump’s foreign policy," 21 Dec. 2018 Bloomberg View contributor Ramesh Ponnuru argues that the South Carolina Republican was right to rebuke Trump. — Bloomberg.com, "Ramesh Ponnuru on Lindsey Graham’s Flawed ’Idea’," 19 Jan. 2018 This is one of several times the president, even before his White House residency, rebuked environmental findings. — Stavros Agorakis, Vox, "Vox Sentences: “Barefoot. In diapers. Choking on tear gas.”," 27 Nov. 2018 Last week, 15 former intelligence chiefs and 60 former CIA officials also rebuked Mr. Trump’s action against Mr. Brennan. — Rebecca Ballhaus, WSJ, "Trump Escalates Feud With Ex-CIA Chief John Brennan," 20 Aug. 2018 Maradona is sorry Diego Maradona apologized in a Facebook post to FIFA after soccer’s governing body rebuked his comments criticizing American referee Mark Geiger’s work in England’s win over Colombia. — BostonGlobe.com, "Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku welcomes challenge of playing Brazil," 6 July 2018 The report also rebuked FBI officials for exchanging anti-Trump text messages during the 2016 campaign. — chicagotribune.com, "Trump says FBI was 'plotting against' me, casts doubt on potential Mueller interview," 15 June 2018 The report also rebuked FBI officials for exchanging anti-Trump text messages during the 2016 campaign. — Anne Flaherty, Time, "Trump Still Says the FBI Was 'Plotting Against My Election'," 15 June 2018 Pizza Hut rebukes Papa John's, says protests in the NFL haven't hurt sales Temptations Holiday Boutique. — Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, "There's something for everyone with more than 50+ event taking place in Louisville this week," 8 Nov. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The San Francisco news comes as a rebuke to hometown ride-hail companies Uber and Lyft, both of which are expanding beyond cars in an effort to become one-stop mobility shops. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: A leak-peek at Apple’s new iPhone before its Sept. 12 event," 31 Aug. 2018 Some senators are portraying it as a rebuke of Mr. Trump's use of a national security waiver to impose the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. — CBS News, "Paul Ryan criticizes Trump's China tariffs, saying they aren't "the right way to go"," 11 July 2018 According to the McCabe memo, which was first reported by the New York Times, Rosenstein claimed that Trump wanted him to mention the Russia investigation in this official rebuke. — Nash Jenkins, Time, "President Trump Says He Didn't Fire James Comey Because of Russia. He Said Something Different Before," 31 May 2018 Trump also criticized Russia's government in a rare rebuke on Sunday, scolding Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow's support of Assad. — Thomas Franck, USA TODAY, "Gold hits highest level since August 2016 in wake of Trump's missile threat," 11 Apr. 2018 Several Labour MPs joined the protests in a public rebuke to the party leadership. — The Economist, "Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-Semitism problem," 28 Mar. 2018 Pennsylvania was one of the blue-collar Rust Belt states he was never supposed to win but won anyway, in a stunning rebuke to Hillary Clinton. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "It’s official: Democrat Conor Lamb wins Pennsylvania special election in major upset," 22 Mar. 2018 In rebuke of the most venerated of French restaurant traditions—the nearly universal August vacation—several take turns closing their kitchens one month later. — Brett Martin, GQ, "Lyon Is the Real Capital of French Food," 12 Mar. 2018 And in a rebuke of two centuries of local architectural tradition, new tract housing was built not raised on piers above the grade, but on concrete slabs poured at grade level. — Richard Campanella, The Atlantic, "How Humans Sank New Orleans," 6 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rebuke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.