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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Each side has blamed the other for ceasefire violations.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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Italy blamed Egypt for Regeni’s killing.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
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At the awards ceremony closing the Berlinale, some winners used their acceptance speeches to support Palestinians and criticize Israel over its war in Gaza.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
10 May 2026
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Additionally, Pashinyan has opted to expand Armenia’s partnerships with Western governments, something that has been sharply criticized by Russian officials.—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
10 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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In a statement posted to X, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the blatant act of antisemitism and vowed to hold those responsible accountable for the graffiti.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
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The pope has often called for peace and unity, condemning violence and war.—
Emily Guskin,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Patrick, a Republican who is the Texas lieutenant governor, repeatedly denounced a concept that is embedded in Supreme Court precedent.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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Patrick, a Republican who is the Texas lieutenant governor, repeatedly denounced a concept that is embedded in Supreme Court precedent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pillory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillory. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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