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
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
-
Tell her about the long, unwelcome chats, the bullying and the rudeness.
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Britain has experienced major blows to investment and productivity, a historic surge in annual net migration, and—shorn of the diplomatic heft of a united Europe and subject to the whims of a bullying Trump—a geopolitical humbling.
Verb
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While the outdoors can feel intimidating to many consumers, Van Diggelen said genuine engagement helps make the category more approachable.
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Think of it as the automotive equivalent of the family mastiff—intimidating in appearance, ferocious when required, but great with kids.
Noun
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Outside, the ceaseless roar of jackhammering and bulldozing went on as the ballroom, challenged by lawsuits and protected by that titanium fencing, took shape.
-
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.
Verb
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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.
-
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.
Noun
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Formula 1 via Getty Images Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has been receiving an onslaught of backlash due to a partnership with Target for an exclusive vinyl album to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his classic debut album Reasonable Doubt.
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The World Cup has brought an onslaught of international soccer fans, and consequently, taste buds.
Noun
-
Russian air defenses have appeared incapable of dealing with the threat.
-
My office will continue to vigorously prosecute defendants who pose serious threats to our community’s safety, especially our children.
Noun
-
At a time when SpaceX is sending stock markets around the world into a frenzy, the horse remains firmly at the very heart of Hermès.
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Officials initially ruled it offside, but a VAR check reversed the call, sending Seattle’s Lumen Field into a frenzy and giving Freeman, the youngest player on the roster at just 21-years-old, his first World Cup goal.
Noun
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Proposition 13 galvanized a nationwide tax revolt and enshrined the modern system of property taxes.
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The day shift also starts making factory-work jokes, with Rekha playing a perky do-bee who just wants to make the boss happy, and Lily adopting an agitator role, demanding workman’s comp and trying to spark revolt.
Cite this Entry
“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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