1
as in lecturing
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
the eminent professor harangued for three hours on his favorite subject, the clash of East and West
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2
as in speaking
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech
a talk-show guest using the interviewer's questions as an opportunity to harangue on a variety of pet peeves
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Recent Examples of haranguing
That entanglement allowed Biden to traverse the country haranguing business on equity, climate, daycare, union labor, and other whole-of-government crusades—while taunting Republicans who relented for the sake of home-district dollars.
—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Tuesday’s report is likely to be viewed favorably by the president, who has spent the past months haranguing Fed Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Tuesday’s report is likely to be viewed favorably by the president, who has spent the past months haranguing Fed Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haranguing
Verb
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Faculty across the state rebuked it as an infringement on academic freedom and warned of a mass chilling effect on free speech and lecturing on divisive topics.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Aug. 2025
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Leaders listen instead of lecturing.—
W. Jeff Williams,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While speaking on a panel at the opening of the movie, which details the life and career of actor John Candy, who died at 43 in 1994, Reynolds revealed that his 2-year-old son, Olin, played a key part in convincing Bill Murray, 74, to have a role in the documentary.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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In December, a Lonoke County judge issued a gag order that banned lawyers, Spencer’s family and others connected to the case from speaking publicly about it, saying widespread media coverage could affect the jury pool.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Most of the clientele were families of Asian tourists, talking neither to us nor among themselves.—
Joe Joyce,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Then a production assistant — a famously low-paying, entry-level job on film and TV sets — McGuirk happened to be near the camera operator, who was talking on the phone, when a colleague radioed to ask him to attend a rehearsal.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some of these people are ranting and raving, threatening violence against strangers or exhibiting tendencies to hurt themselves, others are quietly living in filth or unclothed or unshod in frigid temperatures.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
18 Aug. 2025
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At another time, a perpetually anxious comedian who can’t keep from ranting about his paranoid worries about the end of the world probably would not feel like such a helpful guide to life.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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It’s set in a small-town community in upstate New York, where the long-gray-haired and bearded Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) is the contempo version of a fire-and-brimstone cult leader, preaching fury in the form of piety.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
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Aquarians are humanitarians who spread their gospel by preaching to others.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Haranguing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haranguing. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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