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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilloried
Verb
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Red McCombs, one of the most prodigious benefactors in UT history who gave more than $100 million to the school’s athletic programs before his death in 2023, famously criticized the hiring of former head football coach Charlie Strong in 2014.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Feb. 2026
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Massie criticized Bondi's combative testimony before the House Judiciary Committee regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pritzker, the billionaire Hyatt executive, similarly blamed his retirement on a desire to shield the company’s brand.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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In December, 2025, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir called on Afghanistan’s Taliban government to choose between maintaining ties with Islamabad or supporting the Pakistani Taliban, the militant group blamed for a surge in deadly attacks in recent years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He is being groomed, playing, testing boundaries and even being scolded which are all part of normal social learning for young macaques.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
17 Feb. 2026
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As the Sentinel’s Cristobal Reyes has reported, federal judges based in Orlando have scolded prosecutors multiple times in recent weeks for detaining people who should have been set free, with one judge memorably comparing the current actions of ICE to those of a third-world country.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The $42 shirt, which was condemned by Jewish organizations, has already sold out from the official Olympics online store.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
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While the modern Soviet Jewry movement grew after his assassination, King consistently condemned systems that denied religious freedom, cultural identity, or basic human rights.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During and after the meeting, most city leaders unequivocally denounced the anti-Indian sentiment.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
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China denounced her and demanded a retraction.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pilloried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilloried. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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