riot act

noun

: a vigorous reprimand or warning

—used in the phrase read the riot act

Frank read the riot act to the players at half-time … as they trailed 1-0.

—David Hytner

"We had a whale of a time," he told me—or at least they did until his old man found out and read him the riot act.

—Thomas Hodgkinson

Did you know?

Many people were displeased when George I became king of England in 1714, and his opponents were soon leading rebellions and protests against him. The British government, anxious to stop the protests, passed a law called the "Riot Act." It allowed public officials to break up gatherings of 12 or more people by reading aloud a proclamation, warning those who heard it that they must disperse within the hour or be guilty of a felony punishable by death. By 1819, "riot act" was also being used more generally for any stern warning or reprimand. Although the law long ago fell into disuse and was finally repealed in 1973, the term that it generated lives on today.

Synonyms of riot act

• condemnation
• reprimand

Examples of riot act in a Sentence

at a specially called meeting, he read the riot act to his staff for their poor handling of the crisis

Recent Examples on the Web

Glenn Cassidy, a 30-year faculty veteran and director of the backpacking project since 2007, assembles all 185 or so freshmen on the first day of spring term to read them the riot act about the project. — Anthony Depalma, Mercury News, 22 May 2026

Half of MomTok, led by Jessi, spent the previous evening reading Dakota the riot act for hooking up with a friend of Taylor’s. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026

But this wasn’t the guy who struggled earlier this season to the point that Cronin had to read him the riot act, as he has been known to do. — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026

In the late ’80s, for example, he was implicated (and read the riot act by a court for his actions) in the goring and critical injury of a fellow outdoorsman, an event that cost Peter at least one of his oldest friends in Africa. — Chris Wallace, Vogue, 17 Dec. 2024

Expert John reads him the riot act, and says that Timmy is either going to have to give Lucinda a smooch and lean into the affection — or the relationship is dunzo. — Alexandra Koster, refinery29.com, 11 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

the Riot Act, English law of 1715 providing for the dispersal of riots upon command of legal authority

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for riot act

• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact

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Kids Definition

riot act

noun

: a strong scolding or warning

—used in the phrase read the riot act