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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  1. scolding
  2. lecturing
  3. dressing down
  4. reprimanding
  5. blaming
  6. criticizing
Verb
  • Liev Schreiber is apologizing for scolding a reporter at the Nocturne premiere.
    — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2026
  • From behind a tree, Neil and Florence observed Brenda scolding little Neil.
    — S. M. Reznik, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of scolding
Verb
  • Respondents in England and Australia were more likely to associate teaching with institutional, credentialed and paid professional roles, such as nursing, lecturing and social work.
    — Gustavo E. Fischman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For decades, Zinn traveled the country lecturing to packed auditoriums.
    — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of lecturing
Verb
  • Plus, the medium wash with light fading is great for dressing up or dressing down.
    — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 20 Oct. 2026
  • And there’s a useful distinction between dressing down to make someone else comfortable and being thoughtful about the signals your clothes send.
    — Morgan Sullivan, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dressing down
Verb
  • Instead of reprimanding his pet, Linnetz seems to recognize the moment as a potentially good shot.
    — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The audience awkwardly chuckles, and Scovel, eyes still closed, begins reprimanding them.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of reprimanding
Verb
  • The contractor has sued the city, blaming the airport for the delays.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Acaster refused to take part, blaming his abstention on being wedged between Sheen and Croft — two of the more observant players.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of blaming
Verb
  • Pentecostal parents Ruth and Marius were accused of domestic violence, with worldwide protests criticizing what dissenters called harsh and hasty steps taken by Norwegian social workers without proper evidence.
    — Tomris Laffly, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Cofer is criticizing Guerra’s absence from the vote and is asking him to publicly state his position on the partnership.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticizing

Browse Nearby Words

calling
calling down
calling (for)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Calling down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calling%20down. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of candidate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All