as in admonishing
to criticize (someone) usually gently so as to correct a fault
my wife chided me for forgetting to offer our guests some refreshments
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Recent Examples of chiding
Trump has already tried to tip the scales in one significant baseball matter, publicly chiding Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball’s commissioner, in the process.
—
Evan Drellich, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The two have long been political archenemies going back to Trump’s first term, with Pritzker chiding Trump over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic while the president’s supporters have accused the Democratic governor of taking too strict of measures with COVID mitigations.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
This half of the set ends with Waters chiding the security at the venue, telling them to sit down and enjoy the show when the band returns.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2025
And now, with escalating talk of expanding military action to include regime change in Caracas, Americans are rightly concerned, with Republicans now chiding Trump for ignoring kitchen-table issues at home in favor of chasing overseas victories.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Despite Patrick chiding her for betraying the cause, Ellen doesn’t hesitate to send Edward a letter of warning.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Evan Drellich, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The two have long been political archenemies going back to Trump’s first term, with Pritzker chiding Trump over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic while the president’s supporters have accused the Democratic governor of taking too strict of measures with COVID mitigations.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
This half of the set ends with Waters chiding the security at the venue, telling them to sit down and enjoy the show when the band returns.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2025
And now, with escalating talk of expanding military action to include regime change in Caracas, Americans are rightly concerned, with Republicans now chiding Trump for ignoring kitchen-table issues at home in favor of chasing overseas victories.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Despite Patrick chiding her for betraying the cause, Ellen doesn’t hesitate to send Edward a letter of warning.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chiding
Verb
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Parliament Vice President Nicolae Ștefănuță quickly intervened, admonishing the lawmaker for his language and warning of consequences.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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The outlet reported that the mother of Jamieson’s child spoke out in court, admonishing him for the violent attack on their daughter last January.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, don’t discount the power of comforting or reprimanding statements, because both are necessary in their own ways.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
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Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Saxon said Ye kept him constantly on edge, demanding photo updates of construction work, scolding him for wearing blue instead of the all-black worker uniform Ye preferred, and suddenly adding 24/7 security duties to his workload.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
25 Feb. 2026
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Porter was initially viewed as having a potential edge in the race, but her prospects dimmed after videos emerged in October of the UC Irvine law professor scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many of the same political leaders directing this war spent years criticizing the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.—
Shawn Vandiver,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have released a number of reports criticizing the Israeli military for failing to provide sufficient evidence for its attacks on Lebanese targets.—
Justin Salhani,
The Dial,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The cost of energy has forced its way up the EU political agenda, with heavy industry blaming it for factory closures and the US and Israeli war with Iran sending oil and gas prices spiking.—
Ewa Krukowska,
Bloomberg,
5 Mar. 2026
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He had been arrested for being among 17 political activists, artists and human rights lawyers who signed an open letter blaming then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for the killing of thousands of anti-government protesters.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chiding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chiding. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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