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
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
Dem leadership has been pilloried by Dem voters for rolling over and not standing up to Trump.
—Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Musk was pilloried by the woke crowd for making this an issue.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Last year, in response to some political parodies that used images created by artificial intelligence, including one that pilloried Vice President Kamala Harris, the Legislature passed and Newsom signed two measures to outlaw such tomfoolery.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
The series has never strived to be anything more than opulent fluff, but it still gets consistently pilloried for its lack of realism.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
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
Dem leadership has been pilloried by Dem voters for rolling over and not standing up to Trump.
—Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Musk was pilloried by the woke crowd for making this an issue.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Last year, in response to some political parodies that used images created by artificial intelligence, including one that pilloried Vice President Kamala Harris, the Legislature passed and Newsom signed two measures to outlaw such tomfoolery.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
The series has never strived to be anything more than opulent fluff, but it still gets consistently pilloried for its lack of realism.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilloried
Verb
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Officials originally proposed upgrading the city’s largest cricket stadium, The Gabba, to accommodate the Games, though the project’s price tag was heavily criticized.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
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A number of head coaches leading teams at AFCON 2025 in Morocco have criticized the changes to the tournament’s schedule, arguing that AFCON’s current two-year cycle is ideal for the development of African football and related infrastructure.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Authorities quickly blamed the residents and threatened to tear down their homes.—
Saumya Roy,
The Dial,
6 Jan. 2026
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Rather, many Iranians instead blamed the leadership for either provoking the conflict or failing to meaningfully defend the country from Israeli – or American – bombs.—
Kamran Talattof,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders scolded the media on Sunday after the team’s close loss to the Buffalo Bills at home.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Moments later, Frey strongly condemned the incident to CNN’s Jake Tapper and urged ICE officers to get out of Minneapolis.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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The incident was also condemned by Brandenburg’s Minister-President Dietmar Woidke and Interior Minister Rene Wilke, who are both members of the social-democratic SPD party.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The European Union’s executive arm has denounced Grok while officials and regulators in France, India, Malaysia and Brazil have condemned the platform and called for investigations.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
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The Venezuelan government declared Maduro the victor, a result that was denounced by opposition leaders and international observers, who accused the regime of stealing votes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pilloried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilloried. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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