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
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This came after Nick Saban jokingly scolded himself for not fielding Sayin during their weeks-long overlap in 2023’s postseason at Alabama.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Trump, then in his first term as president, scolded police in a social media post for not protecting the statue.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Cheen also lectured on the music industry across Asia and Australia.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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What To Know On November 4, Itsaragrisil publicly reprimanded Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, during a sashing ceremony at a hotel in Bangkok.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Parents’ ongoing protest of teacher removal Rupert has received an outpouring of support since she was reprimanded and transferred to Isador Cohen Elementary for pulling up old carpet in her classroom.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even dressed down in a minimalist white button-down blouse, vintage Levi’s and pearl earrings, Scherzinger exudes the kind of glamour visible from outer space.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
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These timeless styles look polished, but can easily be dressed down with a tee and sneakers.—
Kristy Alpert,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At first, Westergaard blamed the breach on an employee who had accidentally left them open and walked off the job.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Bobbitt should have come forward to the board about the error then, Crile said, since it could have been blamed for the error.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was criticized on social media for keeping Daniels in the game with the score already insurmountable.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Michigan chapter of the Council on American–Islamic Relations criticized the FBI’s lack of transparency in the days after the arrests.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Called down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20down. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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