1
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the mayor had hardly been in office for a month before she was being excoriated for problems of very long standing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of excoriate
In cities across the country, judges have excoriated both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CBP, saying their officers used excessive force.
—
Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
William Hall, who represents Chatham, from excoriating the company.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Related Stories At a party backed by CAA and Vanity Fair, some conversations turned to whether the President might excoriate the media outlets that buy WHCD tables, and how long his remarks might last.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Longtime colleagues excoriated one another in internal town meetings.
—Steven F. Wilson, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
William Hall, who represents Chatham, from excoriating the company.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Related Stories At a party backed by CAA and Vanity Fair, some conversations turned to whether the President might excoriate the media outlets that buy WHCD tables, and how long his remarks might last.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Longtime colleagues excoriated one another in internal town meetings.
—Steven F. Wilson, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
Verb
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The same man later attacked former Olympian Kim Glass in 2022, which prompted Lee to speak out.—
The Editorial Board,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
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The officer who allegedly was attacked suffered minor injuries, Morton said.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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It is expected that Mourinho will try to tighten control over leaks concerning internal dressing-room matters, something that has irritated the club this season — and which Alonso sought to tackle.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Key Points Cayenne pepper can deter squirrels by irritating their senses without causing harm.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Publicly, Ingoglia has become known for barnstorming the state to hold choreographed press conferences scolding cities and counties for wasteful spending.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
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Messi seemed to scold La Familia at one point with a finger wag aimed in their direction, showing his displeasure with their protest.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Williams belted a walk-off moonshot for a 5-4 win, and Canady slammed the door shut for a 2-0 clincher.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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The teenager received a standing ovation before Cowell slammed his Golden Buzzer.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Verb
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While DeGette has focused her comments on the need for humanitarian aid, Kiros has more directly criticized Israel and questioned its legitimacy as a state.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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The posts criticizing White's coaching decisions, rotations and accountability picked up real traction across Clark-heavy corners of X after the blowout.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Stop insulting everyone’s intelligence with false hope.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
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That might be stretching it, actually; at worst, Meg could be played as a nymphomaniac who refused to take no for an answer from an American who could never get drunk enough to kiss rather than insult her.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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