chew out

verb

Definition of chew outnext
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings the coach chews out even the stars of the team if they fail to show up for practice

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 chew out Kittens chew to relieve teething discomfort, while adult cats may chew out of boredom, stress or habit. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026 It was widely reported that team president Masai Ujiri went into Casey’s office after Game 3 to chew out the coach for not preparing his team better to defend James’ memorable game-winner over OG Anunoby, who is now a Knick. — Eric Koreen, New York Times, 27 May 2026 The episode ends with Kyle’s mom chewing out Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his actions in the ongoing war. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025 About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chew out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chew out
  1. scold
  2. lecture
  3. reprimand
  4. blame
  5. criticize
  6. bawl out
  7. call down
Verb
  • Continue reading … VANITY TOUR — Critics scold Anthony Fauci diary entries that reveal fixation on fame, press coverage.
    — , FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
  • Do not punish your dog by scolding or yelling at them, as this may make your dog's behavior worse out of fear or stress.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Definition of scold
Verb
  • Khimasia is an independent curator who currently lectures at Rutgers University.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 27 July 2026
  • Fauci stepped down from his NIAID post at the end of 2022 and segued to a lecturing job at Georgetown.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 July 2026
Definition of lecture
Verb
  • The league reprimanded the Aces for impermissible player benefits in 2023, docking Las Vegas a 2025 first-round draft pick, so stripping more draft capital as a punishment would not have been unprecedented.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • Court documents also show the Sheriff’s Office did not conduct an internal investigation, nor were any of the deputies reprimanded.
    — Trevor Morgan, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of reprimand
Verb
  • Many blamed the incident on his government's progressive policies and publicly rallied for new border checks at sea, air and land ports of entry.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The site, known as Pecan Island, became available as part of a legal settlement that resolves dozens of lawsuits that blame ExxonMobil for pollution and coastal land loss, the newspaper reports.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of blame
Verb
  • McKenzie hasn’t shied away from criticizing celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Matt Damon who have made money hawking cryptocurrency companies in ads.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The powerful Florida Sheriff’s Association is the latest group to criticize the November ballot measure to roll back property taxes, joining what has been a drumbeat of opposition from law enforcement and first responder organizations.
    — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticize
Verb
  • Trippier and Burn are organisers and not afraid to bawl out their team-mates.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Women stopped to bawl out the police, who accepted this dressing-down with quiet embarrassment.
    — National Geographic, National Geographic, 11 Aug. 2020
Definition of bawl out
Verb
  • This year, the irrigators began calling down water on July 1, boosting flows in the Colorado River.
    — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 July 2026
  • Armed with a name, Polyphemus is able to call down his father’s wrath on Odysseus.
    — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2026
Definition of call down

Browse Nearby Words

chew on
chew out
chew over
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chew out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chew%20out. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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