as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
got bawled out by the boss for missing another important deadline
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawled out
Verb
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Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026 -
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders scolded the media on Sunday after the team’s close loss to the Buffalo Bills at home.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But this season’s 49ers team was lectured from the start to back off on the Super Bowl talk after last year’s 6-11 debacle and instead work on simply becoming a good team that gets better every week.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
23 Dec. 2025
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Meanwhile, Cheen also lectured on the music industry across Asia and Australia.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So far, none of the agents involved in the shootings has been publicly suspended or reprimanded.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
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The question is, since the Maryland SBE has been reprimanded in federal court three times in six years on related issues, what happens when the state continues to refuse to comply with federal law?—
Nicolee Ambrose,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Being chewed out was nothing new, part of life as a football player.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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No less than a half-dozen GOP senators publicly criticized the Department of Justice for investigating Powell over Hill testimony last year about the Fed headquarters’ renovation.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
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The federal government has stepped up operations in Chicago and the Twin Cities, both Democratic strongholds, during the fall and local officials have criticized them for sowing chaos and confusion.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly blamed foreign enemies for unrest while backing the IRGC’s response.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Instead of looking in the mirror, Greg had a scapegoat and blamed the entire divorce on David.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bawled out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawled%20out. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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