1
as in attacks
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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Recent Examples of excoriates
Smullen’s campaign launched an anti-Constantino website that excoriates him for, among many other things, his past registration as a Democrat.
—
Michael Hill, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Woodcutters sets forth the musings of a narrator sitting in an armchair at a dinner party who excoriates the literary awards establishments of his native land (and by extension all lands that are host to a robust bourgeoisie).
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Michael Hill, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Woodcutters sets forth the musings of a narrator sitting in an armchair at a dinner party who excoriates the literary awards establishments of his native land (and by extension all lands that are host to a robust bourgeoisie).
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriates
Verb
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In a 1998 study published in Toxicon, researchers revealed that the inland taipan’s venom comprises a sophisticated mix of biologically active compounds, each of which attacks multiple physiological systems simultaneously.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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The bodycam footage shows Rivas swimming across the water before an alligator gives chase and attacks him.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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If someone is in your life long enough, they’re bound to do something that irritates you—and you’re bound to do something that irritates them.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
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Elsa’s inquisitive presence almost instantly irritates Amalia, as the latter refuses to simply acquiesce to her relentless quizzing.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, Cundieff makes quick work of lambasting the casual misogyny and homophobia ingrained in hardcore rap, but also of the media scolds unable to parse the message of the music.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
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Stumbling on to this ruse, Antoine’s friend and manager Armand (Gilles Lellouche) immediately can tell Suzanne is a fake and scolds her for exploiting his friend’s grief.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
Verb
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There's somatic empathy, the automatic wince when someone slams their hand in a door.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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In addition, an open lid that slams shut can pinch small fingers, and the water in a toilet can be a drowning hazard.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Read's suit criticizes police for not searching the home where O'Keefe was found for blood, fingerprints or DNA evidence.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
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The suit also criticizes ChatGPT’s propensity to agree with users, arguing that the service’s sycophancy can lead users to develop dangerous psychological attachment to the platform and cause users to pay money to unlock more generous usage quotas.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Verb
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New York City’s child welfare agency routinely abuses its emergency power to take children from their parents without a court order, creating lifelong consequences for families, a new class-action lawsuit seeking to end the practice alleged Thursday.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
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People deserve a government that watches out for our people’s best interests, not one that abuses its powers and sells us to the highest bidder.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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As an example, Vance called out an essay in The Nation that assails Kirk’s views on women, homosexuality, and affirmative action.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mikey lambastes him anyway, turning a speech in praise of Richie into a searing evisceration.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 May 2026
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Orbán frequently lambastes the EU, but its funding helped keep the country afloat despite his disastrous economic policies.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excoriates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriates. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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