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
William Hall, who represents Chatham, from excoriating the company.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
At a parliamentary hearing in 2023, MPs asked the former minister of state for development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, a series of excoriating questions about its decision to invest taxpayer money in companies accused of human rights breaches, including the Nairobi Women’s Hospital.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
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 Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
At a parliamentary hearing in 2023, MPs asked the former minister of state for development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, a series of excoriating questions about its decision to invest taxpayer money in companies accused of human rights breaches, including the Nairobi Women’s Hospital.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriating
Verb
-
Both sides accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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So when attacking midfielder Nick Moon carried the ball down the left wing in the eighth minute, AC Boise bodies began rushing into the box.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Unproductively, in the confines of the smaller-scale Fyda-Mar stage, the discordant sensory barrage director Oanh Nguyen brings to bear landed on at least one theatergoer as an agitated, irritating distraction.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
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Scented and bleached toilet paper can have irritating chemicals, while wiping the wrong way can increase your risk of infection.—
Pamela Assid Woughter,
Verywell Health,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Adam Carolla Adam Carolla has thrown his full support behind Pratt, repeatedly praising the former reality star and slamming his opponents.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
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After that news conference, Senate Republicans held their own press briefing, slamming the proposals.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The chance to work with the former Brighton & Hove Albion manager had been a significant draw for many of the players who had joined the club over the previous 18 months, and his abrupt departure left some scratching their heads.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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For textured handles or seams where grime tends to hide, an old soft toothbrush can help loosen residue without scratching the surface.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
14 May 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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Plus, the tilt-head design provides easy access to the bowl, perfect for making ingredient additions, scraping, and adjustments.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
14 May 2026
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Using a flexible bench scraper or hard plastic spatula, fold dough over and onto itself several times, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, to bring together into a mass (dough will feel very wet and sticky).—
Claire Saffitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Just months into Powell’s chairmanship in 2018, Trump started criticizing him and the central bank for not lowering rates.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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Schumer wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin earlier this month warning that new AI systems could dramatically accelerate cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, while criticizing the agency for its response thus far.—
Lauren Morganbesser,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excoriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriating. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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