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excoriating

verb

present participle of excoriate
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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2
as in irritating
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 excoriating Several readers have spoken of appreciation for the columns of mine that intersected sports and society, such as excoriating the NFL for its blackballing of Colin Kaepernick. — Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 Martin Sherman’s play Bent (1979), an excoriating account of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals that is also a story of love between two men in the most terrible circumstances, belongs to this select category. — Simon Callow, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026 Hanaway’s application caps off a day of anger for Missouri Republicans who spent much of Friday excoriating the state Supreme Court’s decision. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026 Indeed, excoriating the high prices of this year’s tournament has turned into a social media subgenre of its own. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriating
  1. attacking
  2. irritating
  3. slamming
  4. scratching
  5. scolding
  6. scraping
  7. criticizing
Verb
  • But the crowd turned violent, attacking Black bystanders and out-of-state reporters, and the students were whisked away in police cars after only three and a half hours of class.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors assembled thousands of pages of text messages and emails, obtained bank and flight records, gathered corroborating witnesses, and collected video footage of freak-offs and the damning tape of Combs attacking Ventura.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • The Pisces Moon squares Uranus in your daily-life zone, making unclear instructions, appointments, or routine disruptions especially irritating.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The textured surface made whisking things like custard or béchamel irritating as the whisk repeatedly snagged on the textured surface.
    — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • Suddenly, a 2004 Ford Expedition barreled into the intersection from the wrong direction at a high rate of speed, slamming into the middle of the bus.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Back when the first trailer for Scream 7 was released last October, fans quickly began slamming the movie on social media, calling for a boycott.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of slamming
Verb
  • In the post, Wouter was pictured wearing a dog cone, which is used to prevent pets from licking, chewing or scratching surgical sites or wounds.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The best snacks have proven staying power, scratching every sweet, salty itch time and time again.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of scratching
Verb
  • Historically, the United States has sent mixed messages to Europeans, encouraging them to step up but then scolding them for seeking autonomy.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of scolding
Verb
  • On a map, Newfoundland is a vast, asymmetrical island, cloven by bays and inlets, semi-detached to appendages of land deformed by ancient glaciers scraping over it, leaving glacial striations, grooves and gouges on its granite face.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Although most of the Mauritanian men came alone, Sy had sold his land and cars, scraping together $20,000 to bring his wife and their son, now 5.
    — Claire Galofaro, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of scraping
Verb
  • The case drew national attention and became racially charged, with supporters of Anthony criticizing the lack of Black jurors and calling for his acquittal, while supporters of the Metcalf family gathered outside the courthouse seeking justice.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The contest’s website has been flooded with memes and pro-Palestine messages criticizing Sheeran.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of criticizing

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excoriates
excoriating
excoriation
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Cite this Entry

“Excoriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriating. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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