as in browbeating
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Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
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
Verb
-
Her intimidating boss Bill Gibson (Jay Ellis) summons her and some other newbies to ask about Yarn Barn.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
-
If a thick field guide covering all the plants growing along the Front Range feels intimidating, apps can be useful, Mowen says.—
Jamie Siebrase,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Nearly five years after the Noel Clarke scandal, Britain’s independent bullying and harassment complaints body is finally about to launch its landmark whistleblowing service.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
Many children are withdrawn from public schools because of bullying, negative peer pressure, or health concerns.—
James R Mason,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 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
-
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
-
Their bulldozing run up through non-League and the EFL deserves respect, but they’re not held together by a rubber band.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This teaching is more urgent now because of tech-heavy medicine and the coming onslaught of AI in patient care.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
That acknowledgement sparked an onslaught of questions that will likely rest on when Hoskins, a Republican and staunch supporter of the map, decides whether the campaign can reach the ballot.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
In the air, innocuous human behavior carries a sense of threat.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Colorado homeowners were among the least likely in the nation to have purchased supplemental insurance riders (53%), even as wildfires, severe storms, and flooding continue to pose real threats.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
While valuations for household-name series IP have come down to earth a bit since the frenzy around Friends, South Park and The Office during the streaming explosion several years ago, The Walking Dead rights will surely fetch several hundred million dollars.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
-
But there's a nostalgic and unexpected appeal to the bustling frenzy of a flea market.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Ultimately, Wales’ revolt against Labour is not simply a march to Reform.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
-
The next national election does not have to be held until 2029, but a wipeout on Thursday could tip a restive Labour Party into revolt against its unpopular leader.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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