as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to keelhaul him—it was an honest mistake, and a small one at that
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keelhauled
Verb
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Rachel Dratch scolded Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz for laughing while rehearsing the original Debbie Downer sketch on Saturday Night Live.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025 -
There, she is repeatedly scolded, first by a testy parking attendant (Mark Stolzenberg), and then by a doctor (Bronstein), who warns Linda of consequences if her daughter doesn’t soon reach her target weight of fifty pounds.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Turnage was not disciplined or reprimanded in connection with the investigation, according to the lawsuit.—
Miami Herald,
Boston Herald,
15 Oct. 2025
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The president of the statewide North Carolina education system publicly reprimanded UNC’s Board of Trustees for their meddling weeks after Belichick’s hiring, and temporarily stripped the board of some authority.—
The Athletic Colleges staff,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Augusta was a devout Christian who often lectured the Bible to her sons and blamed alcohol and women for the evils of the world, per the outlet.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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Clarke and his business partner sold photographs and films, wrote and lectured about their adventures, and began treasure hunting.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But some Republicans blamed Newsom for the freeway closure, calling it an over-reaction.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
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As catastrophic wildfires spur insurance companies to raise homeowner premiums and drop thousands of policyholders across California, the industry has blamed climate change for fueling the blazes.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Keelhauled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhauled. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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