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
-
Porter was initially viewed as having a potential edge in the race, but her prospects dimmed after videos emerged in October of the UC Irvine law professor scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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He is being groomed, playing, testing boundaries and even being scolded which are all part of normal social learning for young macaques.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That includes lecturing, building curriculum, pursuing research and speaking about university policy.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Vance’s speech got a cool reception from European leaders who said they felt lectured.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Still, don’t discount the power of comforting or reprimanding statements, because both are necessary in their own ways.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
On WhatsApp, her mother reprimanded her for being too trusting of others—even of relatives.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
About 100 deaths were blamed on that devastating storm across the entire East Coast.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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Good says the city is partly to blame for voters rejecting a $230 million bond issue that would have paid for a new police station, park upgrades, new sidewalks and other projects.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The move was fiercely criticized by Epstein’s victims and their advocates.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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His role, Reggie Porter Montgomery, was originally played by the late Chadwick Boseman — his future Black Panther costar — who was fired after just one week on set for criticizing Reggie's character arc for playing into racial stereotypes.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
During her six-year tenure, Porter often went viral for wielding a whiteboard to emphasize her points while dressing down corporate executives in congressional hearings.—
Lia Russell
February 19,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The point of dressing down is to show solidarity with those fighting NF, which impacts 1 in every 2,500 people.—
Rashad Alexander,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20down. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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