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

Others criticized Anderson for seemingly scolding fans and trying to tell them where to sit.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Now the older generation is scolding workers for having a different view on interview etiquette without recognizing the cold reality of today’s job market.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of scolding

Verb

For decades, Zinn traveled the country lecturing to packed auditoriums.

— Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026
The bald guy lecturing me on how to get the money looked real enough, but the question of his true being kept rattling around my increasingly paranoid mind.

— Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of lecturing

Verb

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
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

Definition of dressing down

Verb

The shortage of supply elsewhere in London will get worse next year, Khan says, blaming it on UK regulations that have driven up construction costs, deterring new development.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Today, she’s stalled out and blaming her failure on happenstance.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of blaming

Verb

Many have taken to the streets in towns and neighborhoods to protest the worsening situation, with roadblocks, tire-burning and residents holding up signs criticizing the government for not providing adequate solutions.

— Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
What readers are saying The comments express strong disapproval of Pete Hegseth's plan to livestream an execution, criticizing it as inhumane and a historical low for the country.

— Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticizing

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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 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of calling down

verb

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