as in browbeating
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as in intimidating
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
the judge warned the attorney that hectoring the witness with aggressive questioning would not be allowed
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Recent Examples of hectoring
Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
Sure, there's the hectoring of Federal Reserve officials, Chairman Jerome Powell and Governor Lisa Cook, and the attempt by the president to make the central bank another appendage of the White House.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026
Perhaps more meaningfully, the message is the antithesis of a contrived political pitch or a hectoring sermon.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Feb. 2026
Dealing with the hectoring racket of New York fans may well have prepared him to withstand the noise of the Super Bowl.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
Imagine if Clooney had chosen to use his star power to spotlight a genuinely worthy project — the way, say, Sarah Paulson did with Appropriate or Keanu Reeves is doing with Waiting For Godot — rather than the stuffy, moribund, on-the-nose hectoring that was Good Night, and Good Luck?
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
Sure, there's the hectoring of Federal Reserve officials, Chairman Jerome Powell and Governor Lisa Cook, and the attempt by the president to make the central bank another appendage of the White House.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
Pratt was just another angry New Yorker hectoring calumnies against all forms of authority.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026
Perhaps more meaningfully, the message is the antithesis of a contrived political pitch or a hectoring sermon.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Feb. 2026
Dealing with the hectoring racket of New York fans may well have prepared him to withstand the noise of the Super Bowl.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectoring
Noun
-
According to the complaint, the student experienced escalating antisemitic bullying over the last two years, including physical assault.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
For disabled students already navigating discrimination, bullying, and in some cases dangerous seclusion and restraint practices with fewer advocacy resources than ever, the question of who will investigate and enforce their rights just got a lot murkier.—
Keely Cat-Wells,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
They are expected to be confident but not intimidating, ambitious but not self-promotional, collaborative but not passive, assertive but not aggressive.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Schumer declined to address the divisions in his caucus over Platner amid allegations of unsettling and intimidating behavior by past girlfriends.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Outside, the ceaseless roar of jackhammering and bulldozing went on as the ballroom, challenged by lawsuits and protected by that titanium fencing, took shape.—
Matt Viser,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
After Douglas, Miami picked up a 6-5 1/2, 261-pound bulldozing blocking tight end in Kacmarek, who can be an asset in paving holes in the run game.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His process of doing so involved disparaging his accusers, browbeating people and institutions that no longer wanted to be associated with him, and refusing to accept a path that precluded a return to being a public figure.—
Elizabeth Spiers,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Analysts have suggested a vote from Waller in favor of interest rate cuts, aligning with the president’s browbeating demands for lower borrowing costs—could be seen as a bellwether for his candidacy.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The inevitable onslaught of factors, including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and environmental aggressors, can all influence how skin ages.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
18 June 2026
-
This, plus the onslaught of traditional banks, in addition to Fidelity and BNY, has created an intensely competitive environment.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Sakahara later told his son he’d been beaten and kicked and only buckled after officers began to direct the threats at people around him, said Koji, who had confronted his father about his confession.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Damaging wind gusts and large hail are the main threats, and a tornado or two can’t be ruled out, especially in mid- to late afternoon in parts of eastern Kansas and western Missouri.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Balogun struck again just before halftime, extending the United States' lead and sending the crowd in Inglewood into a frenzy.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
Wortzik's motives are gradually revealed after his lover comes forward, turning a local incident into a media frenzy.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Somewhere between the airport and the hotel, your gut stages a revolt.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
Reports of a Republican congressional revolt — like Mark Twain once famously said of a false newspaper report of his death — are greatly exaggerated.—
Carl P. Leubsdorf,
Twin Cities,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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