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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriates
Verb
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According to the Hindu, local eyewitnesses have said that the elephant attacks mostly at night while people are sleeping, and residents have been using firecrackers and patrol teams to keep the animal away from heavily populated areas.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026 -
Russia attacks Ukraine with new Oreshnik ballistic missile Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with a new hypersonic ballistic missile, an advanced weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In other words, alcohol disrupts hydration, irritates the gut, inflames blood vessels, messes with sleep, and forces your liver into metabolic overdrive.—
Ciara Lucas,
SELF,
30 Dec. 2025
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Without this process, the air would be colder and drier, which irritates and constricts the airways and can lead to inflammation.—
Sarah Philip,
Popular Science,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Governance scolds are appalled by the number, as is the pope.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Woke scolds and anti-woke dolts alike objected to the image of Carpenter kneeling in front of a man who appears to be using her hair as a leash.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But dropping the gloves can feel like an exasperating last act born of desperation and hopelessness - a door that slams behind you, leaves you in the dark and seldom reopens.—
Aaron Davis,
Sacbee.com,
2 Jan. 2026
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Trump slams Mamdani after primary win Mamdani’s primary victory shocked the political establishment and excited progressives.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Opposition criticizes the deal Skerrit provided few details on how his island, still facing a housing shortage after Category 5 Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September 2017, plans to accommodate the refugees.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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Animal rights is not the only point on which Sliwa criticizes the president.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the film, Victor emotionally abuses the Creature.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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
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Cite this Entry
“Excoriates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriates. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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