pillorying

verb

present participle of pillory
as in criticizing
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism The press pilloried the judge for her decision.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillorying
  1. criticizing
  2. blaming
  3. scolding
  4. condemning
  5. denouncing
Verb
  • Republican lawmaker Carl DeMaio of San Diego has vocalized his opposition in discussions of the bill, criticizing the idea of providing funding to outlets that make political endorsements.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Yiannopoulos rose to prominence through his provocative statements criticizing political correctness, feminism and Islam.
    — Chris Arnold, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticizing
Verb
  • While there is plenty of frustration about prices, there are also voters willing to make adjustments without blaming Republicans.
    — Mike Catalini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • No one should reach the end of their life blaming themselves for cancer being detected too late.
    — Kim Johnson, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of blaming
Verb
  • Rather than scolding parents about screens, society could do more to support families in ways that obviate the need for screen time.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Do not punish your dog by scolding or yelling at them, as this may make your dog's behavior worse out of fear or stress.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Definition of scolding
Verb
  • Public monuments condemning slavery have been removed, and Confederate names have been restored to Army bases.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But the dispute quickly escalated into a reputational crisis for the biennale, with artists from Taiwan and China condemning the name change as a betrayal of its founding ideals.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of condemning
Verb
  • Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto/Getty Protesters shouted slogans denouncing the police and government over alleged delays in taking action to find the missing girl, and then to find the perpetrators.
    — Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Many actors have opened up about their experiences with Botox, with some denouncing the injectable.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of denouncing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pillory
pillorying
pillowy
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Cite this Entry

“Pillorying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillorying. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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