as in scolded
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 called down
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
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
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
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for called down
Verb
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Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders scolded the media on Sunday after the team’s close loss to the Buffalo Bills at home.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But this season’s 49ers team was lectured from the start to back off on the Super Bowl talk after last year’s 6-11 debacle and instead work on simply becoming a good team that gets better every week.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
23 Dec. 2025
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Meanwhile, Cheen also lectured on the music industry across Asia and Australia.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Performers have been reprimanded for making racist, sexist and homophobic jokes during shows in the late 1990s and 2000s, according to Westword, and Stock Show officials were quick to apologize.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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Shatzman said her group’s complaint is the first time a federal judge has been accused of mistreating staff after being reprimanded following an earlier accusation.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The handy bag goes with just about any outfit and can be dressed down for dog walks or dressed up for dinner out on the town.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
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These pull-on style pants can easily be dressed down with a T-shirt to wear casually, or with a nice blouse or dress shirt and be boardroom-ready.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Authorities quickly blamed the residents and threatened to tear down their homes.—
Saumya Roy,
The Dial,
6 Jan. 2026
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Rather, many Iranians instead blamed the leadership for either provoking the conflict or failing to meaningfully defend the country from Israeli – or American – bombs.—
Kamran Talattof,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Officials originally proposed upgrading the city’s largest cricket stadium, The Gabba, to accommodate the Games, though the project’s price tag was heavily criticized.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
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A number of head coaches leading teams at AFCON 2025 in Morocco have criticized the changes to the tournament’s schedule, arguing that AFCON’s current two-year cycle is ideal for the development of African football and related infrastructure.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Called down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20down. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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