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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calling down
Verb
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This way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025 -
Like an impatient parent scolding their toddler, Frankenstein grows frustrated with his monster’s limited capacity for speech.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Since exiting Dries Van Noten a few years ago, Scallon has been working as an independent consultant and mentor in fashion communications strategy, also lecturing occasionally and sharing his views about creative content on podcasts.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
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The same woman Don had been lecturing about beer.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The cozy piece marked an ideal autumnal staple, with a multifaceted design for dressing up or dressing down, depending on the occasion.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
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The timeless look is versatile enough for dressing down with a pair of jeans and a sweater or elevating with a maxi dress and some gold jewelry.—
Nneya Richards,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
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To this end, Cucinelli urged the independent players to tap into the online commerce without betraying their identity of exclusivity and desirability, subtly reprimanding those who embraced the gray market outright.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Golfers can stop blaming bad luck for those maddening near-misses.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Trump is just straight-up doling out untruths – and blaming Biden.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Though George Washington and the press started off amicably, their relationship grew more adversarial once journalists began criticizing the nation’s first president.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
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Mamdani — who came under fire during the race for his past comments criticizing the New York Police Department — on Wednesday also reiterated his intention to keep the city’s current police commissioner, Jessica Tisch.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Calling down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calling%20down. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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