as in scolds
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 dresses down
Around the same time, Oscar de la Renta sent floor-skimming shirt dresses down the runway, while Stephen Burrows gave sequins a sporty edge in wrap-styles blouses and dresses – perfect for transitioning from work to cocktail parties in the era.
—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 19 Dec. 2025
Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dresses down
Verb
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While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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Or on Bluesky with the joke scolds, or on Mastodon with the Linux hackers, or on Threads with the voice-forward brands?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.—
Simon Maghakyan,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In her car, Jessica Gabriel’s Lady is an avid listener of DJ Revolution, a fictional radio DJ who lectures passionately about the struggles of modern-day life in Nigeria.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Our leadership blames wind and solar for grid issues, but the 2021 freeze proved the real culprit was a lack of preparation by the state and power generators.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Wendell is a man who never reached out to do much and blames the world for it.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Since last fall, the Media Research Center, a right-wing organization that criticizes legacy media outlets, has turned its attention on Apple News’ story selection.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Paxton’s intervention also criticizes the panel of administrative law judges for failing to seek a medical expert’s opinion before determining Bowden could be subject to discipline from the medical board.—
Evan MacDonald,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dresses down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dresses%20down. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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