as in condemnation
an often public or formal expression of disapproval
delivered a stinging rebuke to the Congress, calling for an end to backstabbing and arguing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to reprimand
to criticize (someone) so as to correct a fault
the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college
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2
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches
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3
as in to censure
to express public or formal disapproval of
in a rare move, the state's supreme court rebuked the governor for trying to circumvent one of its recent rulings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rebuke
Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Many view his party’s rise as a harsh rebuke of Nepal’s political elite.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Meghan Mistry, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Douglass stood from the audience to rebuke his old friend; many others joined him.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebuke
Noun
Attempts by aldermen to ban video gambling machines from their wards were struck down by colleagues yesterday in a rare rebuke of the control council members have over vice and other issues in their neighborhoods.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Many view his party’s rise as a harsh rebuke of Nepal’s political elite.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
Powell in January had rebuked the investigation, describing it in a video message as a politically motivated effort to influence the Fed's interest rate policy.
—Meghan Mistry, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Douglass stood from the audience to rebuke his old friend; many others joined him.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebuke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuke
Noun
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In the days and weeks following the Hamas massacre of innocent Israelis on October 7, 2023, students and colleagues alike in his academic community posted fiery condemnations of and expressions of moral disgust toward … Israel.—
Jesse Brown,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
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Without it, moral disagreement can quickly descend into condemnation.—
Eranda Jayawickreme,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As a result, the officer was reprimanded for violating police department policy, including loss of take-home squad privileges and suspension from off-duty employment.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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If this is for a work assignment, the consequence could be getting reprimanded for either taking too long or producing work of sub-par quality.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
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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The first seeks to remove him from his assignments on the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, while the second seeks to censure him.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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The first seeks to remove him from his assignments on the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, while the second seeks to censure him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Adams County Health Department admonished the Aurora immigration detention center over a lack of access to staff and poor communication in a new report detailing the county’s investigation into allegations of widespread illness at the facility earlier this year.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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At one point housewives were admonished not to shake their dust mops outdoors lest that contribute to smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The van’s speakers played a high-volume mashup of construction sounds, Jordan Peterson lectures, Marine Corps drills, and mumbling voices.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Only one parent quietly condemned the shooting to me.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
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Other European leaders have gone further by condemning the conflict and refusing any help at all.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Two advisers to Qatar told me that Global Risk had also conducted background checks and written reports on people linked to campaigns criticizing Qatar; corporate-intelligence firms often provide such open-source research.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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However, in a pair of letters to the editor published in the Journal of Pediatrics, doctors criticized the article as hyped.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebuke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuke. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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