as in scolding
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as in lecturing
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 dressing-down
Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Lamb doesn’t think River even deserves a dressing-down.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
Staying Grounded Under Fire: How to Lead with Emotional Resilience
One client faced a public dressing-down from his boss during a project meeting.
—Naz Beheshti, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Nothing, perhaps, has grated more than last month’s Oval Office dressing-down of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Donald Trump’s dressing-down of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House was a lightning strike to the transatlantic alliance, dispelling lingering illusions in Europe about whether their American cousin will stand with them to counter Russian aggression.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
Victoria expects that Tim — her confident, successful, morally upright husband — will give this phony guru a good dressing-down.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
Nine goals, a 30-minute hat-trick, an unlikely comeback, a last-gasp winner, comedic errors and a dressing-down on the pitch at full-time, all played out in teeming rain in Lisbon, made this a night to remember.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
The timeless look is versatile enough for dressing down with a pair of jeans and a sweater or elevating with a maxi dress and some gold jewelry.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 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
Noun
Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat in the Oval Office and endured a brutal dressing-down.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Lamb doesn’t think River even deserves a dressing-down.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
Staying Grounded Under Fire: How to Lead with Emotional Resilience
One client faced a public dressing-down from his boss during a project meeting.
—Naz Beheshti, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Nothing, perhaps, has grated more than last month’s Oval Office dressing-down of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Donald Trump’s dressing-down of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House was a lightning strike to the transatlantic alliance, dispelling lingering illusions in Europe about whether their American cousin will stand with them to counter Russian aggression.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
Victoria expects that Tim — her confident, successful, morally upright husband — will give this phony guru a good dressing-down.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
Nine goals, a 30-minute hat-trick, an unlikely comeback, a last-gasp winner, comedic errors and a dressing-down on the pitch at full-time, all played out in teeming rain in Lisbon, made this a night to remember.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
The cozy piece marked an ideal autumnal staple, with a multifaceted design for dressing up or dressing down, depending on the occasion.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
The timeless look is versatile enough for dressing down with a pair of jeans and a sweater or elevating with a maxi dress and some gold jewelry.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressing-down
Noun
-
Avoiding public scolding, vague directions, or emotional reactions can make discipline more effective and respectful.—
Leslie Garisto Pfaff,
Parents,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Flies did not follow me, but someone’s gaze did, leading to a lengthy scolding from my mother.—
Edwidge Danticat,
New Yorker,
23 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
-
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
Noun
-
Chapter Five is actually just a lecture that somebody gives—somebody who turns out to be the protagonist, Tunde.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But at a lecture in Tel Aviv, Israel, about 25 years ago, the audience’s response took Lack by surprise.—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Another teaches free guitar lessons to keep kids out of trouble.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Glenn carried himself with the confidence of someone who had honed his coaching craft through lessons learned playing for Bill Parcells and working under Sean Payton and Dan Campbell.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
-
To this end, Cucinelli urged the independent players to tap into the online commerce without betraying their identity of exclusivity and desirability, subtly reprimanding those who embraced the gray market outright.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Never underestimate the combined powers of a Liv Benson talking-to and a New York slice.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Roberts pulled the reliever in, gave him what seemed like a fatherly talking-to, and – after Ramirez got out of the inning with the very next pitch – noted that sometimes the best course is not to yell and scream at a player.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Orange County Register,
30 May 2024
Noun
-
As for what the punishment was for Rhoades, the school would not comment any further regarding the incident.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The passage of Proposition 36, a tougher-on-crime law that placed stricter punishments on repeat drug and theft offenders, has given both agencies more opportunities to try to help those in custody suffering from drug addiction.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
There’s also Luum, which launched its newest-generation lash extension robot at Nordstrom around the same time and whose cofounders include veterans of Ekso Bionics, a maker of robotic exoskeletons for stroke and spinal cord injury survivors.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
At Imane Ayissi, models wore glossy silver eyeshadow that sparkled like moondust from their lashes to their browbones, while at Emporio Armani and Christopher Esber, models’ lids were left completely bare, with streaks of silver shadow twinkling like stars in their inner corners.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dressing-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressing-down. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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