as in to blame
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 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
-
Swart also blamed major social-media platforms for monetizing outrage and accelerating polarization.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Peart is certainly not the only one to blame for Denver’s putrid offensive effort, which included a trio of three-and-outs and a safety — on Quinn Meinerz for holding in the end zone — among the team’s first four drives of the second half.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Since leaving the British royal family in 2020 and stepping down from their roles as senior members of The Firm, Harry and Meghan have faced backlash for their media ventures and transition into Hollywood, with many criticizing the couple’s lack of views on their Netflix content.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Beijing has long criticized Washington for exerting control beyond its borders through export rules that bar third-country companies from supplying China with chips made using American technology.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Rachel Dratch scolded Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz for laughing while rehearsing the original Debbie Downer sketch on Saturday Night Live.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
-
There, she is repeatedly scolded, first by a testy parking attendant (Mark Stolzenberg), and then by a doctor (Bronstein), who warns Linda of consequences if her daughter doesn’t soon reach her target weight of fifty pounds.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, a Republican, also condemned the messages.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Republicans defended Kirk, condemning the political violence that led to his death and calling for civility.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Virginia Democratic Party has not called for Jones to drop out, though several prominent figures, including Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, have issued statements denouncing the messages.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Dozens of colleagues, including Burgos, signed a letter denouncing Mamdani and his co-sponsors.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pillory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillory. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share