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
  • Osborn has been traveling across Nebraska to hold meetings in all 93 counties and has repeatedly criticized Ricketts for not holding town halls to meet with constituents.
    — NICHOLAS INGRAM, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Hinojosa has campaigned on her tenure as a civil rights lawyer and criticized Abbott’s crime policies as violating civil liberties.
    — Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticized
Verb
  • Nuñez defended police tactics despite a growing number of severe injuries blamed on officers' riot-control weapons.
    — NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than point to the comments, however, Cruz blamed fans who attempted to force their way through the entrance of the stadium before the game.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of blamed
Verb
  • 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
  • In 2024, a judge scolded both sides for excessive litigation and ruled for the trust to be dissolved and for the house to be sold.
    — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of scolded
Verb
  • Barry Jefferson, president of the NAACP Arkansas State Conference, has condemned the Sanders ad for reducing low-income people to a stereotype where poverty is seen as a flaw.
    — Laura Turbay, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Jim Desmond, a Republican running for an open congressional seat representing parts of San Diego County, condemned the remarks on social media.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemned
Verb
  • The fashion publication 1 Granary chimed in, suggesting that a number of industry figures who denounced the collection would later shop it.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Abraham and Szor, both Israeli filmmakers, have been denounced as traitors in Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself has threatened to revoke their citizenship.
    — Justin Chang, NPR, 2 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 7 Oct. 2026.

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