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
For fixes other tenants would normally make themselves, like changing a lightbulb, Ruby would call down June’s husband to act as a handyman.
—
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 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
And Josh still viscerally remembers a moment in grade school when he was called down to the office and accused of punching another student, mistaken for the other Josh Jones in his school.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
But with this team still facing question marks, the call down to Providence could come a little quicker than in past years.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 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
And Josh still viscerally remembers a moment in grade school when he was called down to the office and accused of punching another student, mistaken for the other Josh Jones in his school.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
But with this team still facing question marks, the call down to Providence could come a little quicker than in past years.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call down
Verb
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At one point her mother, Ri Sol Ju, appears to gently scold her for some transgression as Kim watches with a broad smile.—
Jen Kwon,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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But Saxon said Ye kept him constantly on edge, demanding photo updates of construction work, scolding him for wearing blue instead of the all-black worker uniform Ye preferred, and suddenly adding 24/7 security duties to his workload.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cluelessly, the Biden administration lectured Israel about its military response.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
7 Mar. 2026
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Therefore, now is not the time to be lecturing our partners and allies.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Last year, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly reprimanded and admonished Givens, citing conduct that included allowing a staff member to impersonate her during a 2021 bond hearing and taking action in cases after she had been recused.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Days later, the House voted to reprimand Garcia after a fellow Democrat brought a censure resolution to the floor.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump officials blame the previous administration for leaving a backlog of complaints.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Video calls freeze, streams buffer, and suddenly everyone in the house is blaming the router.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An ardent supporter of military action against Iran, Graham criticized Israel in a social media post on Sunday regarding the strikes on the oil facilities.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
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Instead, federal health officials criticized Democrats broadly, arguing that blue states are participating in fraud and mismanagement of federal funds in public health programs.—
Angela Hart,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20down. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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