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
Ming opened up her fourth floor window and called down to the firefighters below.
—
Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 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
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 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
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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He’s scolded by fox and hawk for being out in the rain, but Bear shares his berries with Marvin, who gets a ride home on the back of Deer.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Tsuyoshi Tahara founded the inaugural race in 2010 in Kyotanabe city, Kyoto prefecture – inspired by a childhood teacher who once scolded him for playing with an office chair.—
Trista Kurniawan,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tyson Eckert, the fourteen-year-old, lectured about character, competence, confidence, capability, credibility, competitiveness, and courage.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Joanna Fabicon, who has lectured on contemporary children’s literature at UCLA, added that educators, librarians and publishers must all grapple with the allegations against Chávez and decide how to move forward.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As a result, the officer was reprimanded for violating police department policy, including loss of take-home squad privileges and suspension from off-duty employment.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
If this is for a work assignment, the consequence could be getting reprimanded for either taking too long or producing work of sub-par quality.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These beautiful styles will take you from day to night, dressed up or dressed down.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The Burlesque star dressed down her jewels in a effortlessly cool black sweat set.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some murder cases in Mecklenburg have taken more than five years to get to trial, something the district attorney has blamed on low staffing and not enough state funding.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
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The humble org chart isn’t usually blamed for holding back innovation.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Last season during a livestream, Nacua criticized NFL officials and made a gesture regarded as antisemitic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Canada's Prime Minister and Quebec's legislature criticized the CEO for the language lapse.—
Allison Lampert,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Called down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20down. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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