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 movie’s second half travels to the Gaza border for a series of excoriating, excruciating monologues with the literal fog of war as background.
—
Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Mar. 2026
The famous detective novelist and screenwriter had written an essay for the magazine excoriating the motion-picture industry and its tolerance for—indeed celebration of—mindless mediocrity.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
The president often has chosen a combative approach, even excoriating Democrats during the bipartisan prayer breakfast this year, Upton noted.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya raised these points when excoriating siblings studies on social media in September.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 16 Jan. 2026
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
Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Mar. 2026
The famous detective novelist and screenwriter had written an essay for the magazine excoriating the motion-picture industry and its tolerance for—indeed celebration of—mindless mediocrity.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
The president often has chosen a combative approach, even excoriating Democrats during the bipartisan prayer breakfast this year, Upton noted.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya raised these points when excoriating siblings studies on social media in September.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 16 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriating
Verb
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For any politician unwilling or unable to persuade the public with facts and strong rebuttals, attacking the messenger becomes the path of least resistance.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
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When attacking adult or adolescent males, Sandel said the chimpanzees use collective violence.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Oklahoma City is irritating, but never stops winning.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
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Those with extra-sensitive skin often find success with Vanicream, which is free of irritating ingredients such as dyes, fragrance, formaldehyde and lanolin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Swinyard said Mortensen allegedly drove away with Paul against her wishes, before the two got into an altercation that included Mortensen grabbing her head and slamming it into the dashboard, then hitting her knee and elbow with his fist.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
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Video shows a car striking a large trash bin before slamming into the building.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Use gentle solutions like dish soap, baking soda, or vinegar to clean without scratching surfaces or leaving streaks.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026
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The quest to find out why some Braves were celebrating hits by scratching their heads proved more arduous than expected.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Angry Mama Microwave Steam Cleaner is thoughtfully designed to effortlessly remove stubborn messes without scrubbing or scraping for hours on end.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
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Tore it apart before scraping it and sure enough, tucked into a corner, covered with lint, was an old gold ring.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rory McIlroy was similarly vocal, criticizing the league, Saudi Arabian money, the players, and CEO Norman.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took a swipe at fellow Justice Brett Kavanaugh at an event on April 7, criticizing her bench-mate for his recent opinion in an immigration case.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excoriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriating. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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