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
Though the recent season had already filmed prior to Wilson and Batula revealing their connection, the two got pilloried at the three-part reunion by their castmates.
—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
At the time, this movie was pilloried by most critics.
—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 June 2026
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
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
At the time, this movie was pilloried by most critics.
—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilloried
Verb
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The program posed a massive political problem for Mamdani, who’s been criticized by both his allies and opponents for his stance.
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While state studies have criticized the state’s education governance model, voters have rejected at least four attempts dating back to 1928 to reform the position.
Verb
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In Guadalajara, South Korea’s opening day win against Czech Republic was headlined by empty seats, which FIFA blamed on several fans watching the game from the stadium concourses.
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Officials directly blamed the unrest on severe staffing shortages.
Verb
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Davis remembered once being scolded as a teenager by her mother after being caught speaking poorly of a classmate.
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Well versed in what the lunar surface truly offers, Britt scolded a number of arty accounts of lunar territory promulgated by both NASA and commercial space ventures.
Verb
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Researchers sometimes refer to these influences as permission structures, or social cues that signal whether certain behaviors are likely to be rewarded, ignored or condemned.
-
The author — who first came under fire in 2020 for making remarks widely condemned as transphobic — has denied being transphobic, defending her views as pro-feminist.
Verb
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Hezbollah, not included in the talks, has denounced them.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Pilloried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilloried. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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