as in reprimand
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as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to berate someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job
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Recent Examples of berating
Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud's berating of a Christian minister who objected to street signs named after an Arab American leader is being called out by his electoral opponent.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026
Berube lambasted his team after the coach’s challenge, berating his team for its lack of shots on net.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
A day after an irritable TV interview went viral, an old video surfaced of the former Orange County congresswoman cursing and berating one of her aides.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
Itsaragrisil could be seen berating Bosch for allegedly refusing to partake in a photo shoot meant for contestants to share on social media at a pre-pageant event.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Minaj allegedly started berating the female security guard while recording the exchange.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Hammoud faced criticism earlier this year for berating a Christian minister, but later said the city welcomes all.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 19 Nov. 2025
Mace was recently filmed berating police officers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel at a South Carolina airport.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Trump tested this hypothesis by publicly berating Zelensky in the Oval Office, then cutting off military and intelligence assistance.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
Noun
Trump’s berating of China earlier this year has also brought rewards to Xi domestically, too.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud's berating of a Christian minister who objected to street signs named after an Arab American leader is being called out by his electoral opponent.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
Audio recordings previously obtained by the Observer and other news outlets featured McFadden berating staff, calling them untrustworthy and calling a white captain a racial slur.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026
Berube lambasted his team after the coach’s challenge, berating his team for its lack of shots on net.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
A day after an irritable TV interview went viral, an old video surfaced of the former Orange County congresswoman cursing and berating one of her aides.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
Itsaragrisil could be seen berating Bosch for allegedly refusing to partake in a photo shoot meant for contestants to share on social media at a pre-pageant event.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Minaj allegedly started berating the female security guard while recording the exchange.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Hammoud faced criticism earlier this year for berating a Christian minister, but later said the city welcomes all.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 19 Nov. 2025
Mace was recently filmed berating police officers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel at a South Carolina airport.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Trump tested this hypothesis by publicly berating Zelensky in the Oval Office, then cutting off military and intelligence assistance.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berating
Noun
-
His only discipline was an oral reprimand in 2025 after Chief Paul Humphrey found him at fault in a crash.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Lenard saw people smiling, laughing, making small talk, and watching their kids enjoy themselves without criticism or reprimands.—
Lisa Hughes,
CBS News,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But more recently, groups of citizens have grown tired of scolding and have begun reaching for the birch rod.—
Nick Bowlin,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
But acknowledging, or god forbid, scolding the internet for laughing at Kirk would only give it all more power.—
Ryan Broderick,
Rolling Stone,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Billed as the Health Care Freedom Amendment, the measure was designed as a rebuke to the Affordable Care Act, the federal health-care law that had been enacted two years earlier and largely upheld by the Supreme Court that summer.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The final resolution is not guaranteed to pass, but the vote deals a symbolic rebuke to the president.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Christian author Philip Yancey is retiring from writing and lecturing after admitting to a long-running affair with a married woman.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
After teaching at Sacramento City College and lecturing at UC Davis, Fisher moved into public history, working with the California Office of Historic Preservation and the Architectural History Department at Caltrans.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Guests tucked into slabs of soda bread with lashings of butter and chicken pot pie, washed down by flights of Baileys on ice and second helpings from a trifle cart.—
Freya Drohan,
Vogue,
12 Dec. 2025
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Krampus is a fabled goat-like figure that punishes naughty children with lashings, sometimes kidnapping them from their homes, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.—
Angelika Ytuarte,
jsonline.com,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Censures, a means of formally reprimanding a lawmaker without going so far as to expel them, have historically been rare; in the 200 years after Congress first convened, only 22 House members were censured.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
-
When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the appeal to you, gentle readers, to email us with your thoughts, questions, reproofs, corrections, jokes, recipes, etc.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
9 May 2025
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Advertisement China’s Foreign Ministry also issued a vehement reproof.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This third point is particularly important when there is an outspoken founder in the wings like Chip Wilson who has been publicly criticizing board decisions.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
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Since a shooting by an ICE agent in Minnesota killed a woman earlier this week, Martina Navratilova has shared dozens of X posts criticizing him and others in ICE.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berating. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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