as in to blame
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
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Recent Examples of pillory
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
See All Example Sentences for pillory
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
See All Example Sentences for pillory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillory
Verb
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In response to industry commentators blaming aggressive patent litigation for companies disabling HEVC support, Nokia’s rep said that third-party streaming services and hardware wouldn’t work as expected without Nokia’s research and development.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
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Who one blames depends on their politics.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Wolves coach Chris Finch criticized his team’s lack of composure.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
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One of the easier things to do is criticize without offering solutions.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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McMahon likes to remind scolds that wrestling is a morality play.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Leon scolded Justice Department attorneys for arguing that the entire project needed to go forward for national security reasons, before previously distinguishing between the bunker below ground and the ballroom above ground.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In an emotional news conference Monday, city and state officials condemned the bloodshed and called on community members to advocate for victims of domestic violence.—
Ryan Chandler,
NBC news,
20 Apr. 2026
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And European moves to condemn or sanction some Israeli actions frequently had been vetoed by Orban.—
Sam McNeil,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump was forced to denounce it.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Both Mexico City and Guadalajara are preparing to host World Cup games in June, with protesters in both cities denouncing the government's failure to properly investigate the disappearances.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pillory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillory. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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