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
  • As public support for Clancy grew by the day, online sleuths went to work challenging the prosecution’s narrative, closely scrutinizing witnesses and criticizing authorities for not investigating certain details more aggressively.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Some fans viewed the collaboration cynically, criticizing it as a way for Beyoncé to capitalize on Selena’s legacy, or to court more Latino fans.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of criticizing
Verb
  • Looming over it all is billionaire Matthew Prince, a Park City resident who had expressed frustrations with how Vail Resorts has operated its Park City property, blaming Vail CEO Rob Katz for the company’s financial troubles.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • There have been major protests in Spain in response to the migrant arrivals, with critics blaming the Sánchez government for its handling of the crisis, and his political opponents accusing him of pandering to Morocco.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of blaming
Verb
  • Historically, the United States has sent mixed messages to Europeans, encouraging them to step up but then scolding them for seeking autonomy.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of scolding
Verb
  • The commissioner formally apologized to players in 2024 for not sufficiently condemning, during an appearance on CNBC, hate speech around the league.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly 1,000 entertainment figures signed a letter condemning Ruffalo’s remarks, while more than 180 Jewish artists, writers and academics, including Joel Coen, Tony Kushner, Hannah Einbinder and Todd Haynes, signed a separate letter defending him.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of condemning
Verb
  • There’s the Luddite Club, which last fall used a seventy-year-old typewriter to make a poster denouncing the school’s decision to offer students ChatGPT and Google Gemini subscriptions.
    — Jesse Dougherty, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was blindsided on Tuesday when two members of his caucus voted with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to put a resolution denouncing socialism on the floor for a full vote.
    — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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