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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excoriate
In panel discussions, roundtables, and closed-door meetings, analysts exalted the virtues of the United States as an investment destination and excoriated Europe as overregulated, uncompetitive, and incapable of innovating.
—
Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2025
Meta had paid twenty-five million dollars to settle a lawsuit with Trump for suspending him from Facebook and Instagram in the aftermath of January 6th; Comcast was trying to spin off MSNBC, which Trump routinely excoriates.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Other Democrats excoriated the administration for its suspension of the refugee admissions program, particularly while allowing white Afrikaners from South Africa to enter the country.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
But most of Tuesday’s debate came from House Democrats, who excoriated the legislation as an attack on democracy and women in Missouri.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2025
Meta had paid twenty-five million dollars to settle a lawsuit with Trump for suspending him from Facebook and Instagram in the aftermath of January 6th; Comcast was trying to spin off MSNBC, which Trump routinely excoriates.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Other Democrats excoriated the administration for its suspension of the refugee admissions program, particularly while allowing white Afrikaners from South Africa to enter the country.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
But most of Tuesday’s debate came from House Democrats, who excoriated the legislation as an attack on democracy and women in Missouri.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
Verb
-
Boone acknowledged that location will be key for Stroman, who can no longer attack hitters head-on at this stage of his career.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
-
The wild and ugly scenes saw rioters attack law enforcement with rocks and Molotov cocktails while others burned vehicles and other property.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
Jake Paul’s everyday unscented face wash avoids irritating fragrances but is infused with vitamin B3 to help keep your skin hydrated.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2025
-
Work exposures: If you are frequently exposed to irritating chemicals or substances, your risk of dermatitis is higher.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
Paul Krugman has referred to deficit hawks as ‘deficit scolds’, because the spend more time warning about the dangers of the deficit than fixing it.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
Musk and Gor reportedly clashed in Cabinet meetings where Musk scolded Gor over personnel disagreements in recent months.—
Ally Goelz,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
At a time when establishing clarity of first principles has never been more urgent, UF’s law school practically dared anyone to criticize the award for whitewashing the Constitution.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2025
-
In his post, the New York state Assemblymember criticized online trolls for targeting Duwaji during his mayoral campaign.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Jewish advocacy groups slammed President Donald Trump for using an anti-Semitic descriptor on Thursday during his Iowa speech celebrating the passage of his spending bill.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 July 2025
-
Beshear slammed Republicans in support of the bill, accusing them of abandoning constituents who depend on the programs.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump has repeatedly insulted Powell and called him names.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
-
In particular, its retread of plot elements that had already been rehashed to death was annoying and borderline insulting at this point.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share