excoriates

verb

present tense third-person singular of excoriate
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritates
to make sore by continued rubbing the manacles had badly excoriated the prisoner's wrists

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriates
  1. attacks
  2. irritates
  3. scolds
  4. slams
  5. criticizes
  6. abuses
  7. assails
  8. lambastes
Verb
  • She has been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that causes vision loss, and lupus, a disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs instead of fighting germs, according to court records.
    — Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • The filmmaker has previously spoken about having myositis — a disease where the immune system attacks the muscles — which has significantly affected his mobility.
    — Rino Lu, IndieWire, 28 July 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • The capsaicin in hot peppers irritates pests and deters them from feeding on plants.
    — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 15 July 2026
  • Anyone who has sat through a mandatory team-building exercise knows the difference between a ritual that binds and a program that irritates.
    — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026
Definition of irritates
Verb
  • Someone else scolds the offender.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of scolds
Verb
  • This is happening as a demographic shift to an older, grayer population slams Colorado.
    — Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
  • Taylor Sheridan slams critics Sheridan's series are all hits with regular people, but he's routinely been a target for critics.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of slams
Verb
  • While standing at the case, visitors can hear the audio of the speech where Douglass criticizes Americans celebrating freedom while millions remain enslaved.
    — Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
  • The sharp lyrics and title are embodied in the music itself, most notably in the relentless rhythm section, which reflects the endless pursuit of conformity and ambition that Smith criticizes.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
Definition of criticizes
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of abuses
Verb
  • The war in Gaza has become a dividing line between the two candidates, both of whom are Jewish, as Lander assails Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 23 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of assails
Verb
  • Will Oscar and guild voters want to throw their weight behind a movie that lambastes the very technology that threatens their existence?
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 July 2026
  • Mikey lambastes him anyway, turning a speech in praise of Richie into a searing evisceration.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2026
Definition of lambastes

Browse Nearby Words

excoriated
excoriates
excoriating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excoriates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriates. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on excoriates

Nglish: Translation of excoriates for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of sultry

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All