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
Even now, as a bonafide fashion success, with the Victoria Beckham label undergoing four years of consistent growth resulting in over £100 million in annual sales, she’s mostly dressed down in quiet luxury hoodies in the documentary.
—
Scarlett Harris, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Mellencamp, 44, sported a loose-fitting jumpsuit, Prada crossbody bag and a black baseball cap, while Rea, who was holding a tablet in his hand, dressed down in athletic shorts and a white T-shirt.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 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
See All Example Sentences for dress down
Scarlett Harris, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Mellencamp, 44, sported a loose-fitting jumpsuit, Prada crossbody bag and a black baseball cap, while Rea, who was holding a tablet in his hand, dressed down in athletic shorts and a white T-shirt.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 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
See All Example Sentences for dress down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress down
Verb
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Nawat Itsaragrisil, president of Miss Grand International (MGI), was seen scolding Fatima Bosch, a 25-year-old contestant from Mexico, ahead of the 74th Miss Universe competition being held in Bangkok later this month.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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No doubt many grandmothers will want to scold us, but the truth is, soap isn't going to destroy your cast iron pans.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Christian author Philip Yancey is retiring from writing and lecturing after admitting to a long-running affair with a married woman.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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After teaching at Sacramento City College and lecturing at UC Davis, Fisher moved into public history, working with the California Office of Historic Preservation and the Architectural History Department at Caltrans.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Performers have been reprimanded for making racist, sexist and homophobic jokes during shows in the late 1990s and 2000s, according to Westword, and Stock Show officials were quick to apologize.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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His popularity in other corners was evident in an October appearance on The View, in which cohost Whoopi Goldberg had to reprimand the audience for shouting out too many supportive exclamations.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
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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Chipotle and Cava both reported weaker sales this fall, blaming a slowdown among younger diners who are packing lunches instead.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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The hurricane has been blamed for 77 deaths, according to the Pan American Health Organization.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 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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House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
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Bibelheimer also had good reason to criticize the film, as Ferrell’s portrayal of her was wildly at odds with the truth.—
Sarah Weinman,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 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 11 Jan. 2026.
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