as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dressed down
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
It can be easily dressed up for dinner with nice shoes, as well as comfortably dressed down with sandals or sneakers for the pool or exploring the ship.
—Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026
Rattan, jute, sisal, wood, seagrass, and more are all great options for an organic feel that can be both dressed up or dressed down.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
These beautiful styles will take you from day to night, dressed up or dressed down.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The Burlesque star dressed down her jewels in a effortlessly cool black sweat set.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
If someone is dressed up in a space that is dressed down, for instance, there’s humor to it.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2026
While Haim dressed down her look with a low-key ponytail and barely-there makeup, Swift stuck to her usual glam with cat-eye liner and signature red lip.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 10 Dec. 2025
Verb
Think of ranch water as a dressed down margarita that's hard to mess up.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
It can be easily dressed up for dinner with nice shoes, as well as comfortably dressed down with sandals or sneakers for the pool or exploring the ship.
—Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026
Rattan, jute, sisal, wood, seagrass, and more are all great options for an organic feel that can be both dressed up or dressed down.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
These beautiful styles will take you from day to night, dressed up or dressed down.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The Burlesque star dressed down her jewels in a effortlessly cool black sweat set.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
If someone is dressed up in a space that is dressed down, for instance, there’s humor to it.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2026
While Haim dressed down her look with a low-key ponytail and barely-there makeup, Swift stuck to her usual glam with cat-eye liner and signature red lip.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressed down
Adjective
-
In the early 1980s, Murphy and a few associates ran an informal back channel between the United States and the Soviet Union.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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For households where one member frequently travels or serves in demanding roles, the app offers a way to pass along knowledge that might otherwise remain informal.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rogers scolded Musk on Tuesday morning for his recent social media posts about the trial and threatened a gag order before the jury arrived in the courtroom.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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So far, to Trump’s dismay, the plaintiff has won some victories; a federal judge repeatedly scolded government lawyers and halted work.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Bringing his bag of insane tricks and witty banter to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for two nights on May 8 and 9, Willman’s crowd work, storytelling and intricate tricks are inspired by everyday life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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For full-time mothers who often move between cooking, cleaning, childcare, remote admin tasks, and managing family schedules throughout the day, this mobility can make everyday routines more practical and less disruptive.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For years, states such as New York and California have been run by politicians who seem to believe prosperity is permanent — an endless resource to be taxed a little more, regulated a little harder and lectured a little longer.—
Larry Clifton,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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Ratmoko is also a photographer, writer, and scholar who has lectured on intercultural communication schools including Yale University and the University of Zurich.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the brand became the foundation for a global retail empire and reshaped American fashion with a focus on simple casual looks from khakis and jeans to T-shirts and sweater sets.—
Anne D'Innocenzio,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
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Lluritu is a modern, casual seafood bar that's quickly becoming a favorite in the neighborhood of Gràcia.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Kudrow, who starred as the free-spirited Phoebe Buffay, said the writers reprimanded the cast for forgetting lines and spent their off-hours fantasizing about her female co-stars.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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Jimmy John’s was once reprimanded for making sandwich makers sign them.—
Morris M. Kleiner,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At another point, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman called down to Earth to NASA’s IT specialists on the ground to report that both versions of Microsoft’s email program Outlook installed on his computer were not working.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Ming opened up her fourth floor window and called down to the firefighters below.—
Kate Talerico,
San Francisco Chronicle,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gatkhor Dual, an opposition official coordinating aid in Jonglei state, blamed county commissioner James Bol Makuei for blocking humanitarian access.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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In a statement, a spokesperson for Angels In The Asylum blamed the closure on the film being unable to resolve financing issues with John Cairns and his company, Parkland Pictures.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dressed down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressed%20down. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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