as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
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Recent Examples of dress down
Whether paired with a blouse for a day in the office or dressed down with a T-shirt for more casual occasions, skinny pants are a smart staple to have on hand.
—
Averi Baudler, People.com, 5 July 2025
The judge dressed down another defendant and two lawyers.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Whether dressing up for a night out or dressing down with sneakers for a casual daytime look, denim offers versatility that few other fabrics can match.
—Jené Luciani Sena
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 20 June 2025
The terms, which still have to be ratified by Ukraine’s parliament, seem to have dissolved weeks of tension between the inner circles of President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky after Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance dressed down Zelensky in a heated Oval Office exchange.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress down
Averi Baudler, People.com, 5 July 2025
The judge dressed down another defendant and two lawyers.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Whether dressing up for a night out or dressing down with sneakers for a casual daytime look, denim offers versatility that few other fabrics can match.
—Jené Luciani Sena
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 20 June 2025
The terms, which still have to be ratified by Ukraine’s parliament, seem to have dissolved weeks of tension between the inner circles of President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky after Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance dressed down Zelensky in a heated Oval Office exchange.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress down
Verb
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Some have also scolded Colossal for tinkering with genetics, but the tech firm insists its work will aid in the conservation and protection of endangered species.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
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With the camel’s back broken, Dorothy Scott, summoning all her righteous indignation (and channeled with maybe one-third of Audra McDonald’s extraordinary talent, which is still enough to power the city of Manhattan), lets the snobby scold have it.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Two hours later, she was heard lecturing the children.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
16 July 2025
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The single most on-the-nose sequence — though there are many — has an unrestrained Christopher Lloyd as a Holocaust survivor conveniently situated to lecture young Clay about the genocidal reality of his experience.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Verb
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If the committee finds the charges to be malicious, the accusers may also be reprimanded, suspended, removed from office or expelled.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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In October, Redstone publicly criticized McMahon's decision to reprimand CBS News morning anchor Tony Dokoupil over an interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates.—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Tax cuts and spending cuts have to go hand in hand, otherwise the cycle starts all over again as deficit spending goes up and tax hikes come calling down the road to plug the hole.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Some residents blamed the city, which has owned these buildings for years, for allowing the structures to get run-down.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
9 Aug. 2025
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At one point, her crankiness about being underappreciated for her domestic efforts is blamed, without irony, on her period.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Instances when the coach chewed out the quarterback for being late on a throw.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
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But to chew out his boss--Edwin Stanton, secretary of war--would be more than just getting close to the line of insubordination.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Trump amps up his attacks on CEOs and other executives Trump has long used social media and his other public statements to cajole, criticize and praise companies and individual CEOs.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
14 Aug. 2025
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Some social media users have criticized the department’s reverence for the 1940s, noting the period predated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which outlawed segregation, as well as other landmark legislation and Supreme Court decisions that were key to the civil rights era.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dress down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20down. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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