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
Throughout that first treatise, Locke excoriated the divine right of kings.
—
Time, 1 July 2025
His social media posts excoriating Powell have become a fixture of monthly Fed meetings.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025
But this version of the bill was promptly excoriated by vocal coalitions in both parties.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 1 July 2025
With featured guests including superstars SZA and Doja Cat, Lizzo goes for the jugular throughout her radical mixtape to excoriate exes, doubters, haters and anyone else trying to dim her shine.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Time, 1 July 2025
His social media posts excoriating Powell have become a fixture of monthly Fed meetings.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025
But this version of the bill was promptly excoriated by vocal coalitions in both parties.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 1 July 2025
With featured guests including superstars SZA and Doja Cat, Lizzo goes for the jugular throughout her radical mixtape to excoriate exes, doubters, haters and anyone else trying to dim her shine.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
Verb
-
In June, a woman defaced a Pilsen mural at 16th Street and Ashland Avenue and was accused of attacking another woman who tried to stop her.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
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Amorim needs a mobile centre forward capable of attacking open space at speed and offering a threat in quick transition.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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It was heard, and irritating, in all places at all times.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
25 July 2025
-
For Wiles and other top aides, winning in the midterms is crucial — more crucial than publicly flaming a lawmaker who has a history of irritating Trump.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Whether this comes off as a joke or as an invitation for scolding (spoken or unspoken, loving or otherwise) depends entirely on the other Muslims in the room.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
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But there was a time Emily Deschanel, who played the meticulous forensic anthropologist through 12 seasons of Bones, got scolded for being just that — and the memory still makes the star emotional.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Many airlines have long relied on aging computer systems, and the aviation industry has been criticized for failing to modernize swiftly.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
22 July 2025
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McKinney ruffled some feathers by publicly criticizing former Giants’ defensive coordinator Wink Martindale in his final season with the Giants.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Police slammed one of the women to the ground and swiftly ushered her away in handcuffs.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Phase 4 In the fourth stage, the body attempts to slam the brakes on starvation by lowering the metabolic rate - like switching on low-power mode to conserve energy.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Weeks after that House hearing, the Fed lowered rates a quarter point, but Trump kept haranguing and insulting Powell, calling for even more easing.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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Offend clients or coworkers: Social media posts that target or insult certain groups, especially in a way that reflects poorly on your employer, can lead to termination.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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