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
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.
—
Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Tax cuts and spending cuts have to go hand in hand, otherwise the cycle starts all over again as deficit spending goes up and tax hikes come calling down the road to plug the hole.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
Still, the idea that someone not in the league can get called down from the stands to play in a game on a moment’s notice is one of hockey’s most unique traditions.
—Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 15 July 2025
Miles, the Manual student, noted how when she and her fellow bus riders were called down to the office to receive information on the return of transportation, almost all of them were Black.
—Grace Fridy, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Upper apartments, though, were built without kitchens, since their owners might as well call down for room service.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 19 May 2025
Around that same time, Schuyler was called down to Albany to help negotiate a treaty with a group of Native Americans, leaving Brigadier General Richard Montgomery in charge of his forces.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
But the game changer, a change in field practices that drove use of force on crisis calls down by 68% over a four-year period, was a different type of training — a mandatory one that Anderson helped craft.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
The next day the family was called down to the station to pick up Skip.
—Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Tax cuts and spending cuts have to go hand in hand, otherwise the cycle starts all over again as deficit spending goes up and tax hikes come calling down the road to plug the hole.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
Still, the idea that someone not in the league can get called down from the stands to play in a game on a moment’s notice is one of hockey’s most unique traditions.
—Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 15 July 2025
Miles, the Manual student, noted how when she and her fellow bus riders were called down to the office to receive information on the return of transportation, almost all of them were Black.
—Grace Fridy, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Upper apartments, though, were built without kitchens, since their owners might as well call down for room service.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 19 May 2025
Around that same time, Schuyler was called down to Albany to help negotiate a treaty with a group of Native Americans, leaving Brigadier General Richard Montgomery in charge of his forces.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
But the game changer, a change in field practices that drove use of force on crisis calls down by 68% over a four-year period, was a different type of training — a mandatory one that Anderson helped craft.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
The next day the family was called down to the station to pick up Skip.
—Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call down
Verb
-
Miss Sammie flashed the scolding look Jean had known since childhood, though playfully now.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Chun also scolded attorneys for Amazon in July for withholding thousands of documents from the FTC and abusing a legal privilege to shield them from scrutiny.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kenji lectures on the difference between Japanese static views of ruins versus Western dynamic interpretations and carries the memory of past earthquakes.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
-
The same woman Don had been lecturing about beer.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There is a form of right-of-center liberalism that is content with status hierarchies, that is very unhappy with anything that makes people feel reprimanded.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), threatened networks to reprimand Kimmel.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But historically, voters have blamed the party in power for a government shutdown.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Sep. 2025
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Dohn Community High School closed in early 2025, and school officials have blamed Davenport for its abrupt collapse.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The outlet said many criticized his behavior, labeling it racist, sexist, or out of touch.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Locally, the response was more complicated, with police frequently criticized for their use of force and tear gas.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His post-match dressing down after the 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on August 31 seems to have paid off.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Call down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20down. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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