EXCORIATING Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

excoriating

verb

present participle of excoriate

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in irritating

to make sore by continued rubbing the manacles had badly excoriated the prisoner's wrists

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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 excoriating In a press conference after the hearing, officials sent their condolences to Thompson’s family, while excoriating those who glorified Mangione. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 While excoriating the loss of his visa, López Beltrán also painted a dystopian picture of present-day life north of the border. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The rules governing red cards are sacrosanct in the international game, and Belgium were joined by legions of federations, fans, pundits, heads of state and former referees in excoriating FIFA for the decision to let Balogun play. — Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026 And she’s proven a popular voice on social media, where a recent TikTok video excoriating the Supreme Court decision on voting rights drew more than 19 million views. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 21 May 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriating

Verb

So too are there similarities to the Brentford side that came up under Thomas Frank, given their set-piece credentials and attacking variety.

— Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Fishback has been aggressively attacking Donalds over his politics and his race while holding rallies across the state drawing crowds of young men motivated by his hard-right campaign promises.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of attacking

Verb

Be sure to use a fragrance-free, gentle detergent to avoid irritating sensitive skin with any residue.

— Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2026
There’s something uniquely irritating about being forced to listen to whatever a stranger has decided to watch on their phone.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of irritating

Verb

The film also depicts Gorbachev as something of a drama queen during the meetings, slamming the table and raising his voice.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
The active tropics comes on the 22nd anniversary of Hurricane Charley slamming into Florida, the beginning of one of the worst hurricane years in the state’s history.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of slamming

Verb

Rather than scolding parents about screens, society could do more to support families in ways that obviate the need for screen time.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
Do not punish your dog by scolding or yelling at them, as this may make your dog's behavior worse out of fear or stress.

— Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Definition of scolding

Verb

According to the waiter, even a request as simple as removing cheese from a burger might result in the kitchen scraping it off rather than preparing an entirely new burger.

— Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026
With the sprightly energy of a schoolboy, Jean-Paul Doron bounds into an empty creek, his red suede shoes scraping pale rocks.

— Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of scraping

Verb

Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2026
McCain has often spoken out against the British royal family and Markle, in particular, routinely criticizing her on the Happy Hour talk series during the 2025 release of Markle’s docuseries With Love, Meghan.

— Mariel Turner, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticizing

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excoriates

excoriating

excoriation

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“Excoriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriating. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of excoriating

verb

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