1
as in attacking
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 excoriating
The beat resumed, the volume its usual excoriating self, Shields’ guitar reprogrammed to give a hint of body-moving swing.
—
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
Prescott’s excoriating memo was the catalyst for the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025
The Lynx lost that game, and then, with Collier in a boot on the bench and her coach suspended for excoriating the referees in her defense, came up short in the decisive Game Four, too.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
There’s no question Newsom — who had spent months excoriating refiners for gouging consumers on gasoline prices, even calling a special legislative session to impose new regulations — changed his tune after two refineries announced plans to shut down.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
But a federal judge threw out the lawsuit in March 2024, excoriating the platform’s case as plainly punitive rather than about protecting the platform’s security and legal rights.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
The level of anger was quickly evident in state media broadcasts - which analysts say are often a measure of official Saudi viewpoints - with television news reports personally excoriating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
—Pesha Magid, Reuters, 14 Feb. 2025
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
Prescott’s excoriating memo was the catalyst for the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025
The Lynx lost that game, and then, with Collier in a boot on the bench and her coach suspended for excoriating the referees in her defense, came up short in the decisive Game Four, too.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
There’s no question Newsom — who had spent months excoriating refiners for gouging consumers on gasoline prices, even calling a special legislative session to impose new regulations — changed his tune after two refineries announced plans to shut down.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
But a federal judge threw out the lawsuit in March 2024, excoriating the platform’s case as plainly punitive rather than about protecting the platform’s security and legal rights.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
The level of anger was quickly evident in state media broadcasts - which analysts say are often a measure of official Saudi viewpoints - with television news reports personally excoriating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
—Pesha Magid, Reuters, 14 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriating
Verb
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Obstructing, impeding, or attacking federal law enforcement is a federal crime.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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What now is the difference between the United States attacking Venezuela in order to install new leadership and Russia invading Ukraine to effect annexation and leadership change?—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The play-calling of Payton remains irritating and confusing.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
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Plus, if wind picks up, the leaves can wind up all over the neighborhood, irritating your neighbors.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Instead of slamming it home, Antetokounmpo soared over the defenders to make an improbable catch, landed and flicked an on-target pass to Rollins for a corner 3 before falling out of bounds to give Milwaukee a 14-point lead.—
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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His brief mention of the shutdown focused on slamming Democrats.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The best vacuums for hardwood floors have a powerful cleaning performance without scratching or causing damage.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
6 Jan. 2026
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That pollen can fill the air, covers cars and cement, and can start noses running, eyes watering and throats scratching.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But more recently, groups of citizens have grown tired of scolding and have begun reaching for the birch rod.—
Nick Bowlin,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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But acknowledging, or god forbid, scolding the internet for laughing at Kirk would only give it all more power.—
Ryan Broderick,
Rolling Stone,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Stokes, who seldom completes a five-Test series these days, had dragged his creaking, aching body through almost five full matches of hard, hot, energy-sapping cricket, like scraping butter over too much bread, but somehow soldiering on.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Reinforcing Data Risk and Privacy Over the past three years, Jain has been using her skills as part of Meta’s anti-scraping initiative.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This third point is particularly important when there is an outspoken founder in the wings like Chip Wilson who has been publicly criticizing board decisions.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
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Since a shooting by an ICE agent in Minnesota killed a woman earlier this week, Martina Navratilova has shared dozens of X posts criticizing him and others in ICE.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excoriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriating. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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