as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
I was called down by my supervisor for not catching the accounting error sooner
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Recent Examples of call down
After leaving the field at the end of the third, Fried walked into the tunnel leading to the visitors’ clubhouse, flanked by pitching coach Matt Blake, who immediately called down to the bullpen to have Paul Blackburn warm up.
—
Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Even the New York State Police had been called down to join, and were standing around in their purple ties and Dudley Do-Right hats.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
At another point, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman called down to Earth to NASA’s IT specialists on the ground to report that both versions of Microsoft’s email program Outlook installed on his computer were not working.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Ming opened up her fourth floor window and called down to the firefighters below.
—Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Jan. 2026
Derpetrossian was working with a hot shot crew with the Angeles National Forest when he got called down to help fight fires that were popping up around Los Angeles while the Palisades Fire wreaked havoc on the city’s Westside.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
Scott said, when he was called down to the lobby, James threatened his family.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
On July 14th, Etoria was called down to intake with a group of men of diverse nationalities.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
They are insulated with feathers from ducks or geese called down.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Even the New York State Police had been called down to join, and were standing around in their purple ties and Dudley Do-Right hats.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
At another point, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman called down to Earth to NASA’s IT specialists on the ground to report that both versions of Microsoft’s email program Outlook installed on his computer were not working.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Ming opened up her fourth floor window and called down to the firefighters below.
—Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Jan. 2026
Derpetrossian was working with a hot shot crew with the Angeles National Forest when he got called down to help fight fires that were popping up around Los Angeles while the Palisades Fire wreaked havoc on the city’s Westside.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
Scott said, when he was called down to the lobby, James threatened his family.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
On July 14th, Etoria was called down to intake with a group of men of diverse nationalities.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
They are insulated with feathers from ducks or geese called down.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call down
Verb
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Publicly, Ingoglia has become known for barnstorming the state to hold choreographed press conferences scolding cities and counties for wasteful spending.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
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Messi seemed to scold La Familia at one point with a finger wag aimed in their direction, showing his displeasure with their protest.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Bad teams are given mechanisms to recover, not lectures about bootstraps.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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One can scarcely imagine Davis agreeing to a management interview with Forbes or lecturing executives about organizational leadership.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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That reprimand — for insubordination — eventually led to Rosen’s departure from the office in March.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
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Yeboah was being reprimanded for an incident in Wednesday’s training session, but the exact circumstances are not yet known.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Conrad, who has always denied the existence of a tape, blamed Pratt for leaking the story.—
Louis Staples,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
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Concentrated forms of it are increasingly blamed for addiction, health issues and even death.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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While DeGette has focused her comments on the need for humanitarian aid, Kiros has more directly criticized Israel and questioned its legitimacy as a state.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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The posts criticizing White's coaching decisions, rotations and accountability picked up real traction across Clark-heavy corners of X after the blowout.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20down. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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