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
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
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
-
Rachel Dratch scolded Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz for laughing while rehearsing the original Debbie Downer sketch on Saturday Night Live.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
-
There, she is repeatedly scolded, first by a testy parking attendant (Mark Stolzenberg), and then by a doctor (Bronstein), who warns Linda of consequences if her daughter doesn’t soon reach her target weight of fifty pounds.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Augusta was a devout Christian who often lectured the Bible to her sons and blamed alcohol and women for the evils of the world, per the outlet.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Clarke and his business partner sold photographs and films, wrote and lectured about their adventures, and began treasure hunting.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Turnage was not disciplined or reprimanded in connection with the investigation, according to the lawsuit.—
Miami Herald,
Boston Herald,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The president of the statewide North Carolina education system publicly reprimanded UNC’s Board of Trustees for their meddling weeks after Belichick’s hiring, and temporarily stripped the board of some authority.—
The Athletic Colleges staff,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These timeless styles look polished, but can easily be dressed down with a tee and sneakers.—
Kristy Alpert,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
-
With its refined silhouette, subtle logo detailing, and classic colors—from black to a fall-ready burgundy—the elegant accessory can be dressed down for coffee runs and classed up for date nights.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In August, a gunman who blamed COVID vaccines for his depression opened fire on the agency’s Atlanta campus, killing a police officer.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The woman long blamed for her role in the fall of the Aztec empire in 1521 is getting a modern makeover.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Hostages and Missing Families Forum criticized Hamas earlier in the day for releasing only four of the 28 confirmed deceased hostages, calling it a breach of the agreement.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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And while the council does have the power to reject commissioners, Jenkins’ move was scathingly criticized by the Coalition for Police Accountability, an advocacy group that first lobbied to establish the oversight body.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Called down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20down. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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