as in scolded
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 dressed down
Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Yet, they can still be dressed down with a tank top or T-shirt.
—Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressed down
Verb
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Family matriarch Donna Adelson was scolded by a judge Thursday for weeping in the courtroom after being convicted of orchestrating a 2014 murder-for-hire plot of her former son-in-law, a prominent Florida State University law professor.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Lox's reaction to being scolded.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Protesters signaled their support for Karki through an informal vote on the messaging app Discord.—
Sugam Pokharel,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Bolsonaro's presidency was marked by intense skepticism about the pandemic and vaccines and his embrace of informal mining and land-clearing for cattle grazing, pushing deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest to record highs.—
Ricardo Brito,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Vance lectured Zelenskyy and argued the wartime leader hadn’t shown proper gratitude for the billions of dollars in military assistance the United States has given to his country.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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We weren’t being lectured to anymore.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The mundane worries or thoughts of everyday life seemed to dissolve under the vast sky, replaced by the rhythm of the land and the quiet insistence of nature.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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That is, the group enables Hamas to be both arsonist and firefighter, enhancing its control and reach into the lives of average, everyday Palestinians in Gaza.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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San Juan Unified School District Trustee Nick Bloise was formally reprimanded by the board in relation to his behavior during a school site visit.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Geier, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology, has also been reprimanded by the Maryland Board of Physicians for practicing medicine without a medical license.—
Sarah Owermohle,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Streaming platforms have blurred the line between prestige drama and casual binge.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Ranging in sizes 4 Petite to 24 Plus, this casual yet classy dress features button cuff sleeves, a flattering tie closure, and over a dozen colors to choose from.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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During that interview, Luchin, a distinguished Italian chef known for his expertise in regional cuisine and the former owner of Ottavio restaurant in Walnut Creek, blamed financial struggles after his establishment closed in 2016.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
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According to Altman, the most difficult issue the company is grappling with recently is how ChatGPT approaches suicide, in light of a lawsuit from a family who blamed the chatbot for their teenage son's suicide.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dressed down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressed%20down. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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