as in criticized
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
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Recent Examples of pilloried
Monroe was pilloried, in her moment, but she was also allowed by Hollywood to test her talents in a manner that, decades later, actresses known for their physicality still struggle to do.
—
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 1 June 2026
The franchise’s last movie, 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, was pilloried by critics and fans, though still managed to squeak past the $1 billion mark globally (people wanted to see how the Skywalker Saga story concluded, but were decidedly unimpressed with the result).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The acerbic toon has aired more than 330 episodes and pilloried scores of subjects and celebrities since its 1997 launch.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 19 May 2026
But those who voted for a non-binding pro-ICE resolution have been pilloried for it.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
The prince was himself pilloried for wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party 20 years ago and also acknowledged this.
—Reuters, NBC news, 14 May 2026
On social media, he was getting pilloried by Fuentes’s legions of fans, many of them alienated young conservatives who call themselves Groypers, in honor of an obese version of the Pepe the Frog meme.
—Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
As an 18-year-old, Bedard was pilloried for having a minus-44 rating.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grew, Biden was pilloried by segments of the Democratic Party, who turned against Israel.
—James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 1 June 2026
The franchise’s last movie, 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, was pilloried by critics and fans, though still managed to squeak past the $1 billion mark globally (people wanted to see how the Skywalker Saga story concluded, but were decidedly unimpressed with the result).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The acerbic toon has aired more than 330 episodes and pilloried scores of subjects and celebrities since its 1997 launch.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 19 May 2026
But those who voted for a non-binding pro-ICE resolution have been pilloried for it.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
The prince was himself pilloried for wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party 20 years ago and also acknowledged this.
—Reuters, NBC news, 14 May 2026
On social media, he was getting pilloried by Fuentes’s legions of fans, many of them alienated young conservatives who call themselves Groypers, in honor of an obese version of the Pepe the Frog meme.
—Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
As an 18-year-old, Bedard was pilloried for having a minus-44 rating.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grew, Biden was pilloried by segments of the Democratic Party, who turned against Israel.
—James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilloried
Verb
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Greenspan was also criticized for enacting policies that contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis that led to the recession at the end of the 2000s.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
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The Federal Reserve’s steadfast period of low interest rates in the 2000s was criticized as contributing to a housing bubble in the 2000s, followed by the mortgage crisis of 2007 and the Great Recession the following year.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Verb
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An Israeli source told CNN that Netanyahu has also privately blamed Kushner and Witkoff for creating a wedge between the two leaders.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
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Amid mounting public criticism, the White House took down the video and blamed an unnamed aide.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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This time, however, Charlotte promptly scolded him for his untoward behavior.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
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Four years ago, Infantino scolded critics during a news conference ahead of the opener in Qatar.—
Carlos Rodriguez,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Verb
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They have also been widely condemned by antisemitism watchdogs, the university and government officials — some of whom suggested that his comments should prevent him from being hired anywhere.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
22 June 2026
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There are moments when a phrase, or a current of thought, that had seemed condemned to archival history is suddenly all anyone talks about.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Hezbollah, not included in the talks, has denounced them.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
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These tensions flared to their worst level since the invasion this week, when Nawrocki denounced and stripped Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, awarded to him in 2023, over the honoring of the UPA.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pilloried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilloried. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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