as in to blame
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pillory
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
But the Trump administration, which has regularly pilloried the policies of the Biden administration, saw the CHIPs act as a needless giveaway and is now hoping to make a profit off the funding that had been pledged to Intel.
—Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pilloried Biden for his administration’s massive deficit spending.
—Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
The series has never strived to be anything more than opulent fluff, but it still gets consistently pilloried for its lack of realism.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pillory
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
But the Trump administration, which has regularly pilloried the policies of the Biden administration, saw the CHIPs act as a needless giveaway and is now hoping to make a profit off the funding that had been pledged to Intel.
—Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pilloried Biden for his administration’s massive deficit spending.
—Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
The series has never strived to be anything more than opulent fluff, but it still gets consistently pilloried for its lack of realism.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pillory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillory
Verb
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Chipotle and Cava both reported weaker sales this fall, blaming a slowdown among younger diners who are packing lunches instead.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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The hurricane has been blamed for 77 deaths, according to the Pan American Health Organization.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
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Bibelheimer also had good reason to criticize the film, as Ferrell’s portrayal of her was wildly at odds with the truth.—
Sarah Weinman,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Nawat Itsaragrisil, president of Miss Grand International (MGI), was seen scolding Fatima Bosch, a 25-year-old contestant from Mexico, ahead of the 74th Miss Universe competition being held in Bangkok later this month.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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No doubt many grandmothers will want to scold us, but the truth is, soap isn't going to destroy your cast iron pans.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Al Jazeera has repeatedly denied those accusations and condemned its closure in Israel.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Prescott was troubled by the significant differences in tone, headlines and emphasis when covering the war, and condemned the BBC for allegedly misreporting the proportion of Palestinian women and children killed by Israeli military actions.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But in a shocker move in September 1983, Joe Strummer kicked guitarist Mick Jones out of the band, denouncing his former mate as a rock-star sellout.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
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Anger and apology Bosch, who was crowned Miss Universe Mexico earlier this year, denounced Nawat for insulting her.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pillory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillory. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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