1
as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping
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Recent Examples of flayed
The apostle was believed to have met his martyrdom by being flayed alive.
—
Virginia Raguin, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Virginia Raguin, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flayed
Verb
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Katie Porter scolded, Tom Steyer channeled Bernie.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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The victim said he was singled out for laughing, scolded, and told to continue reading before being ordered into the hallway.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Verb
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But on the island, our differences peeled away.—
Chiara Barzini,
Vogue,
9 May 2026
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With shrimp or prawns, deveining is done whether they're peeled or unpeeled—by slicing down the back of the shell to expose and pull out the tract.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
Verb
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For years, states such as New York and California have been run by politicians who seem to believe prosperity is permanent — an endless resource to be taxed a little more, regulated a little harder and lectured a little longer.—
Larry Clifton,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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Ratmoko is also a photographer, writer, and scholar who has lectured on intercultural communication schools including Yale University and the University of Zurich.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More than five weeks later, the suit states, the city manager reprimanded Kennedy.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
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Years ago, a Saudi royal court official reprimanded me for describing the kingdom as a land of conditional opportunity.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Each side has blamed the other for ceasefire violations.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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The report, which was reviewed by The Times, blamed the issue on lax oversight and confusion among officers about when they were required to press record.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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In addition to the issues with the tax collector and the city’s credit card, Stewart was also criticized by Fazio for skipping two consecutive debates last week in Farmington and Berlin.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
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Carr publicly criticized the late-night host for remarks made about the killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, which was followed by Kimmel’s show being removed from the air for several days before it was reinstated.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flayed. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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