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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When the second player protested the contact, Nicholson scolded the player, according to one parent.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026 -
Other times, Rodriguez encouraged her to sleep or scolded the Sacramento mother when stress led to too many cigarettes.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Additionally, Cox reprimanded CalPERS in the decision, writing that staff members acted unprofessionally throughout the hearing and failed to provide evidence supporting CalPERS’ claims.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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He got formally reprimanded by the House, thanks to a resolution introduced by a fellow Democrat, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ratmoko is also a photographer, writer, and scholar who has lectured on intercultural communication schools including Yale University and the University of Zurich.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
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During orientation, new hires are lectured that Kino wants to protect users from harmful images; meanwhile, their boss, Josh (Jermaine Fowler), would cut out his own spleen on camera to keep people’s eyeballs on the app.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Scottish National Party, for example, has blamed Westminster for allowing Grangemouth — which supplied all of Scotland's kerosene — to close.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
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Gallup’s own senior education researcher, Zach Hrynowski, blamed the bad vibes at least partially on the dwindling job market.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Keelhauled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhauled. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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