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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lambastes
Mikey lambastes him anyway, turning a speech in praise of Richie into a searing evisceration.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2026
Orbán frequently lambastes the EU, but its funding helped keep the country afloat despite his disastrous economic policies.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Desire fires him, cuts him to pieces, lambastes him.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2026
Orbán frequently lambastes the EU, but its funding helped keep the country afloat despite his disastrous economic policies.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Desire fires him, cuts him to pieces, lambastes him.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lambastes
Verb
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Someone else scolds the offender.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
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Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, Cundieff makes quick work of lambasting the casual misogyny and homophobia ingrained in hardcore rap, but also of the media scolds unable to parse the message of the music.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Verb
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In a 1998 study published in Toxicon, researchers revealed that the inland taipan’s venom comprises a sophisticated mix of biologically active compounds, each of which attacks multiple physiological systems simultaneously.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The bodycam footage shows Rivas swimming across the water before an alligator gives chase and attacks him.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
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At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Verb
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How can people with such a strong attachment to faith and family vote for someone who criticizes religious leaders and defies so many ethical standards?—
Scott Warren,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
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Read's suit criticizes police for not searching the home where O'Keefe was found for blood, fingerprints or DNA evidence.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Granit Xhaka slams it into the right corner of the net.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
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After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Rehka literally hides under a table to avoid him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
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The baked five cheese macaroni and cheese, a small and unlovely cup that hides so much depth and possibility, begs for perhaps crispy breadcrumbs to lend texture and toastiness.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Today’s successful downtowns rely on a mix of ingredients, said Steven Falk, the former city manager of Lafayette, who’s served as an interim city executive in Oakland and Richmond and who lectures at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
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Bad teams are given mechanisms to recover, not lectures about bootstraps.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Smullen’s campaign launched an anti-Constantino website that excoriates him for, among many other things, his past registration as a Democrat.—
Michael Hill,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
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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 21 Jun. 2026.
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