1
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaying
Verb
-
But Saxon said Ye kept him constantly on edge, demanding photo updates of construction work, scolding him for wearing blue instead of the all-black worker uniform Ye preferred, and suddenly adding 24/7 security duties to his workload.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
25 Feb. 2026 -
Porter was initially viewed as having a potential edge in the race, but her prospects dimmed after videos emerged in October of the UC Irvine law professor scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The skin on her nose was said to have been peeling from the sun.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
-
In the video, directed by Jared Hogan, Mitski and her band make the most of an extremely spooky house, peeling wallpaper and all.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That includes lecturing, building curriculum, pursuing research and speaking about university policy.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Katie da Cunha Lewin is a writer based in London, currently lecturing in 20th and 21st-century literature at Coventry University.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Still, don’t discount the power of comforting or reprimanding statements, because both are necessary in their own ways.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Kiros previously worked for a law firm and wrote an open letter in 2023 criticizing how law firms were responding in 2023 to pro-Palestinian protests.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
And Britt has refrained from mentioning the boy in her public remarks, instead focusing on criticizing Democrats for refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security amid negotiations.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Flaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaying. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
