CALLING DOWN Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

calling down

verb

present participle of call down

as in scolding

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of calling down This year, the irrigators began calling down water on July 1, boosting flows in the Colorado River. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for calling down

Verb

Remake includes footage of Adrian urging his father to consider Carr’s offer, and gently scolding him for having passed up certain opportunities to make money—money that would have made the family's life better—off his filmmaking acumen.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026
Soon though, Shawna noticed some of Zaayer's strange behaviors — including scolding her grandson, getting upset over cleaning habits and allegedly showing them racist videos.

— Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

Definition of scolding

Verb

Like Bezos, whose Sun Valley uniform has included jeans with T-shirts and polo shirts, many of the male tech executives are dressing down.

— Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
Hardline politicians slammed the president’s unorthodox choice of attire and activists accused him of double standards, where under Iran’s strict dress codes, ordinary people would be barred from dressing down.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 12 June 2026

Definition of dressing down

Verb

Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Earlier this week, Scott Agness claimed his press credentials were revoked by the team after his reporting led to the WNBA reprimanding the Fever for not being transparent about Clark’s health status during a game on May 20.

— Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026

Definition of reprimanding

Verb

Larson has been using all that corporate PAC money to run an ad criticizing Bronin for accepting support from a Connecticut billionaire who has been a prolific Democratic donor.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
On Saturday, July 25, Perry, 41, shared a post on X, criticizing the use of her song.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026

Definition of criticizing

Browse Nearby Words

calling

calling down

calling (for)

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“Calling down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calling%20down. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of calling down

verb

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