variants
or lambasts
1
as in scolds
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the director lambasted them mercilessly for forgetting their lines during the final dress rehearsal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacks
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
movie critics across the country lambasted the film for its contrived plot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
like all westerns, this movie contains the requisite scene of saloon patrons lambasting each other
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lambastes
Desire fires him, cuts him to pieces, lambastes him.
—
Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lambastes
Verb
-
On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2026
-
While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mills attacks Platner's past comments This month, the governor returned to Platner's controversial social media posts, triggering an exchange of advertising that has largely overshadowed the Democrats' arguments to defeat Collins.—
Steve Mistler,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Oil tanker traffic through the strait has plunged as Iran attacks commercial ships in the Persian Gulf.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Schiavo raised a similar concern, noting that the National Transportation Safety Board regularly criticizes the Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators for not implementing obvious solutions, even after accidents occur.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Gigerenzer criticizes them as ethically problematic and argues that public policy should emphasize education over subtle choice manipulation.—
Alejandro Hortal-Sánchez,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Flight 8646 slams into the fire truck.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In the first season, Ronald meets James Marsden and immediately slams one of his films.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, few movies have ever been more damning or prescient in their condemnation of the health industrial complex, which hides all manner of sins under the guise of physical improvement.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In the 1995 film, Carrey’s pet detective character hides inside a fake rhinocerous to spy on unscrupulous types in a safari setting.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The van’s speakers played a high-volume mashup of construction sounds, Jordan Peterson lectures, Marine Corps drills, and mumbling voices.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Woodcutters sets forth the musings of a narrator sitting in an armchair at a dinner party who excoriates the literary awards establishments of his native land (and by extension all lands that are host to a robust bourgeoisie).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lambastes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lambastes. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
