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
That spectacle was followed by a very public dressing-down of Zelensky by Trump and Vance in the Oval Office.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
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
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
Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2026
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
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
That spectacle was followed by a very public dressing-down of Zelensky by Trump and Vance in the Oval Office.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
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
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 point of dressing down is to show solidarity with those fighting NF, which impacts 1 in every 2,500 people.
—Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2026
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
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The scolding came after Heuermann’s lawyer, Michael Brown, introduced a new stack of motions further challenging evidence in the infamous murder case on Monday evening, the Post reported.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Avoiding public scolding, vague directions, or emotional reactions can make discipline more effective and respectful.—
Leslie Garisto Pfaff,
Parents,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Katie da Cunha Lewin is a writer based in London, currently lecturing in 20th and 21st-century literature at Coventry University.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Sometimes the messages got feisty, with Epstein lecturing Karp over a fee.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Saturday afternoon inside the Intuit Dome often felt more like a lecture that needed to end.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
However, naming the Holocaust as a genocide in 2026, the organizers of the lecture about our book feared, would evoke contemporary associations—above all, with the genocide in Gaza.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But buried not too deeply beneath the surface of her silly stories are the very hard lessons learned.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
While the world faces many challenges, the history of peace processes offers important lessons for navigating present-day conflict.—
David Dumke,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
This is a really good writer-talking-to-another-writer question.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Never underestimate the combined powers of a Liv Benson talking-to and a New York slice.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, said Clark deserved a tougher punishment, including being barred from practicing law in the state.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Prosecutors in the case recommended the death penalty as punishment for Yoon, given the severity of his crimes.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Her sleeves, her bob, and her lashes are conveyed in crisp black.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
-
And, the wand is just as genius as the formula, with a super-slim, flexible design that hugs every single lash from corner to corner.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dressing-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressing-down. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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