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
Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat in the Oval Office and endured a brutal dressing-down.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 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
This change comes after Grok received a dressing-down from users and international officials for complying with requests to digitally undress women and underage girls or create sexualized deep fakes of them without their consent.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat in the Oval Office and endured a brutal dressing-down.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 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
-
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
-
Written after he was stabbed on stage during a lecture in New York State in August 2022.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
-
But that didn’t stop her from signing up for a lecture this fall about training greyhounds.—
Kelley Bruss,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Jan. 2026
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
-
Censures, a means of formally reprimanding a lawmaker without going so far as to expel them, have historically been rare; in the 200 years after Congress first convened, only 22 House members were censured.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
-
When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 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
-
Some coaches did complain after reporting particularly brazen cases of tampering, pushing for punishments and seeing nothing happen to offenders.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The punishment fit the crime of murdering the law enforcement officer and father of three in cold blood.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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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 22 Jan. 2026.
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