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
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
Both Reed and costar Raquel Welch were pilloried for their performance as the same character before and after what would now be called gender-affirming surgery.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 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
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
Reuters, NBC news, 14 May 2026
Both Reed and costar Raquel Welch were pilloried for their performance as the same character before and after what would now be called gender-affirming surgery.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 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
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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Other candidates have criticized her and expressed their support for LGBTQ+ students — Rendon perhaps most pointedly.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
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Owens, who has frequently criticized Hunter Biden and his family over his business dealings, drug addiction, and the controversy surrounding his laptop, previewed a wide-ranging discussion touching on addiction, politics, faith, and Washington’s political culture.—
Adisa Hargett-Robinson,
The Washington Examiner,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The president blamed him for a massive sewage spill and excluded him from a historically bipartisan governors' meeting at the White House.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
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The drought is being blamed for an increase in bear sightings around Arvada, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Katie Porter scolded, Tom Steyer channeled Bernie.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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The victim said he was singled out for laughing, scolded, and told to continue reading before being ordered into the hallway.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Verb
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The attack was swiftly condemned by mediator Pakistan and other countries.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
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The property has a hazardous history — with more than 50 code violations cited in the last five years and the property was condemned at least one other time, according to city documents.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Human rights group Foro Penal denounced the government’s account as misleading.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
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The Sacramento City Council restored funding to a youth violence prevention grant and vowed to keep pools open after residents denounced cutting services to plug a $66 million budget deficit.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pilloried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilloried. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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