as in criticizes
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillories
Verb
-
Since last fall, the Media Research Center, a right-wing organization that criticizes legacy media outlets, has turned its attention on Apple News’ story selection.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026 -
Paxton’s intervention also criticizes the panel of administrative law judges for failing to seek a medical expert’s opinion before determining Bowden could be subject to discipline from the medical board.—
Evan MacDonald,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Our leadership blames wind and solar for grid issues, but the 2021 freeze proved the real culprit was a lack of preparation by the state and power generators.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Wendell is a man who never reached out to do much and blames the world for it.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Or on Bluesky with the joke scolds, or on Mastodon with the Linux hackers, or on Threads with the voice-forward brands?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In a 2024 reflection on Hurricane Maria, which leveled parts of Puerto Rico and left many without power for months, Bad Bunny denounces the government's role in the chaos that ensued after the Category 4 storm swept through the island.—
Luis Giraldo,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Hamas, which initially accepted the ceasefire text, now denounces the framework as an effort to turn an emergency pause into a permanent security order.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Japanese Buddhists expanded on this idea to claim that the pollution of menstrual blood alone led to rebirth in the Blood Pond Hell, which condemns all menstruating women to this kind of suffering.—
Megan Bryson,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The activists’ statement condemns the Iranian government’s deadly campaign against civilian protestors.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Pillories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillories. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
