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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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For those just starting out, financial health can feel intimidating.—
Charlyn Tanner,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
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However, the process of buying and selling gold or silver can seem intimidating, especially for those who have never done so before.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The family on Wednesday filed a wrongful-death claim against the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging school officials failed to investigate reports of bullying, adequately supervise student interactions or implement effective safety measures.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Cook Riolo Road, failed to properly supervise students and did not follow district policies addressing bullying.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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This might take a series of browbeating prompts, but that’s not a big deal.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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So how are Israelis handling the Iranian onslaught, which erupted a short eight months after the previous round of hostilities concluded?—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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Dallas exploded for an eight-goal drubbing of the Oilers the last time these two teams met up in November, a game that started with a four-goal first-period onslaught by the Stars.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the decision to proceed with the mass demonstration attended by some senior government officials and Israel's threat underscored the fierce determination on both sides of a war that has rattled the global economy and shows no sign of letting up.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
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By processing large volumes of data quickly, AI can help determine which drones represent actual threats and which might be acting as decoys within a swarm.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Played on the show by Sarah Pidgeon, audiences on TikTok have gone into a frenzy with appreciations and tutorials showing how to style Besette staples like a white shirt, pencil skirt, and headband.—
Valentina Bottoni,
Vanity Fair,
13 Mar. 2026
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The whirling metal blades dominate the front yard with more frenzy movements than a four-year-old rushing to the bathroom.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Last year's protests against corruption and poor governance were triggered by a social media ban before snowballing into a popular revolt against the government.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
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Last year’s protests against corruption and poor governance were triggered by a social media ban before snowballing into a popular revolt against the government.—
Binaj Gurubacharya,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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