pilloried

verb

past tense of pillory
as in criticized
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism The press pilloried the judge for her decision.

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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 pilloried He was pilloried near and far for electing to save ace Chris Sale for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Dodgers rather than send him to the mound for Sunday’s Game 2. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 5 Oct. 2026 The studio must have had some idea that the film was going to get pilloried in some corners as the ad went live even before the review embargo broke Tuesday. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026 In Europe, multiethnic capitals are pilloried by the far right as demographic time bombs, ground zero for invasions of unwanted foreigners. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026 Flock has been pilloried at city council meetings and its equipment has been physically attacked on the street. — Andrew Zucker, Vanity Fair, 14 Aug. 2026 He was soon being pilloried on several fronts including management decisions that alienated key executives, and a public fight with star Scarlett Johansson. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026 No wonder Izzy gets pilloried so many times just for having the driest sense of humor. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilloried
  1. criticized
  2. blamed
  3. scolded
  4. condemned
  5. denounced
Verb
  • Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, criticized the state's election officials for not cooperating with the department's demands.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Some Democrats have criticized national groups for not spending more in Southern states like Mississippi.
    — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticized
Verb
  • At least $343,100 is to be spent on surveillance after the president falsely blamed vandals for damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
    — Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Many senior Democrats blamed her, along with the rest of the family and his close aides, for hiding his condition.
    — Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of blamed
Verb
  • District of Columbia Judge Ana Reyes angrily scolded government attorneys in a hearing to block the government from cutting down more trees at East Potomac Golf Course.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Eventually, all charges were dropped days before trial after Perry was finally given the full, unredacted grand jury transcripts and scolded prosecutors for violating the inherent trust placed in the office.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of scolded
Verb
  • At the time, the league said there were no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and condemned attempts to use the subject to demean or marginalize others.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The term has since become a shorthand for antisemitic depictions of greed and has been condemned for elevating offensive stereotypes about Jewish people.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemned
Verb
  • Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray said in a statement the paper was relieved that Levine received medical care and is safe, but denounced the violence against her.
    — Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Press freedom groups and opposition parties, however, denounced the move against Halk TV, calling it yet another step by the government to silence opposition voices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of denounced

Browse Nearby Words

pillboxes
pilloried
pillories
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Cite this Entry

“Pilloried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilloried. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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