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
The 26-year-old Brit is eating a piece of salami backstage at her venue in Edinburgh, dressed down in a baseball hat from the International Spy Museum, a memento from a recent stop in Washington, D.C.
—
Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
His post-match dressing down after the 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on August 31 seems to have paid off.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
The meeting came days after Trump failed to cut a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to pause hostilities at an Alaska summit and six months after the Ukrainian leader was dressed down by administration officials in a hostile Oval Office clash in February.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress down
Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
His post-match dressing down after the 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on August 31 seems to have paid off.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
The meeting came days after Trump failed to cut a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to pause hostilities at an Alaska summit and six months after the Ukrainian leader was dressed down by administration officials in a hostile Oval Office clash in February.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress down
Verb
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George Clooney is looking back at one of the more surreal moments from his early Hollywood days — getting personally scolded by the legendary Frank Sinatra.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
26 Oct. 2025
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That is the adage used to scold someone whose gaze is fixed on a particular subject a little too long.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Andres Bernal, a political analyst who lectures at the City University of New York, thinks many young voters look at Cuomo's history of controversy and are reminded of the Democratic Party establishment that has left them disillusioned.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
22 Oct. 2025
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Before the Orange Bowl in January, Penn State head coach James Franklin used his dual pregame press conference with Marcus Freeman to lecture the college football world on his belief that Notre Dame should join a conference.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Parents’ ongoing protest of teacher removal Rupert has received an outpouring of support since she was reprimanded and transferred to Isador Cohen Elementary for pulling up old carpet in her classroom.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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They are insulated with feathers from ducks or geese called down.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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And Josh still viscerally remembers a moment in grade school when he was called down to the office and accused of punching another student, mistaken for the other Josh Jones in his school.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If a new medication is to blame, switching drugs can sometimes help.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Gabriel may not be blamed for Cleveland's offensive struggles, but the Browns will have to explore what Sanders can bring to the field if Gabriel can't showcase more of an arm.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Being chewed out was nothing new, part of life as a football player.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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In recent months, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has repeatedly criticized Tucker Carlson.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Trump announced plans to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canada on Saturday over a TV ad featuring footage of former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Women stopped to bawl out the police, who accepted this dressing-down with quiet embarrassment.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
11 Aug. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Dress down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20down. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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