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
Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, shows LaBeouf berating actors and crew members, instigating a fistfight and engaging in other aggressive behavior.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The film featured numerous scenes of LaBeouf verbally berating his students and occasionally getting physical with them.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Advocates for Eastside Beltline light rail took turns blasting the MARTA Board of Directors at its meeting Thursday, berating the board for the transit agency’s pace of project delivery and for the decision made by a small group of officials to quietly stop work on the project last year.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Trump has railed against the Fed and Powell for the past year, berating Powell, his handpicked Fed chair, for not cutting rates.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Tigers fans spent all morning berating Jayhawks fans before the game even started.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
In October, a controversial video leaked in which Alex can be heard using expletives and berating his younger sister during a rehearsal.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 8 Jan. 2026
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
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
What happened Tuesday should scare away any of the remaining top prospects who would want to play for this berating blowhard.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, shows LaBeouf berating actors and crew members, instigating a fistfight and engaging in other aggressive behavior.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The film featured numerous scenes of LaBeouf verbally berating his students and occasionally getting physical with them.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Advocates for Eastside Beltline light rail took turns blasting the MARTA Board of Directors at its meeting Thursday, berating the board for the transit agency’s pace of project delivery and for the decision made by a small group of officials to quietly stop work on the project last year.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Trump has railed against the Fed and Powell for the past year, berating Powell, his handpicked Fed chair, for not cutting rates.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Tigers fans spent all morning berating Jayhawks fans before the game even started.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
In October, a controversial video leaked in which Alex can be heard using expletives and berating his younger sister during a rehearsal.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 8 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berating
Noun
-
Bowden brought attention to the incident on social media, and posted photos of hospital staff, the reprimand says.—
Evan MacDonald,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Breece is asking a hearing officer to impose a $10,000 fine and issue a public reprimand.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Sanders, by now a perennial candidate, perfected his craggy, scolding, mitten-waving style.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Tuesday’s decision is the latest judicial rebuke of the government’s maneuvering in Abrego Garcia’s case, which has come to symbolize the administration’s hardline — and, at times, slapdash — approach to immigration enforcement.—
Devan Cole,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Several high-profile individuals who have appeared in the files have faced swift public rebuke for maintaining personal and business relationships with Epstein for years after he was convicted in 2008 on two state prostitution charges.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Katie da Cunha Lewin is a writer based in London, currently lecturing in 20th and 21st-century literature at Coventry University.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Sometimes the messages got feisty, with Epstein lecturing Karp over a fee.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To better break through modern wilderness frontiers, Bowlus' newest offering gets upgraded with the 3-in lift, all-terrain tires, spare tire mount and interior lashing system of the Adventure Package.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Feb. 2026
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Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford, who have now walked plenty a red carpet together, embrace their dark features with red lips, lashings of mascara, and undulating brunette curls.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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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
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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Sun Sentinel commentary criticizing legislation that would allow Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System to collaborate overlooks the real needs of patients, and the data before us.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Some of the very people criticizing you are the ones asking for more access.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berating. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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