PILLORYING Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

pillorying

verb

present participle of pillory

as in criticizing

to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism The press pilloried the judge for her decision.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillorying

Verb

Restrictions have extended outside the classroom, with some teachers being fired or punished for criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his assassination.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
In 2022, Cunningham shared a message criticizing the participation of Lia Thomas in women’s college swimming and said athletes should have the opportunity to compete fairly.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticizing

Verb

The Los Angeles County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released a report blaming the Eaton Fire on electrical arcing events that took place on an out-of-service Southern California Edison (SCE) tower.

— Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Jeanine Pirro after her office moves to drop vandalism charges over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, blaming faulty construction instead.

— Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 1 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

Bryant then claims that Cunningham's stance on female sports is comparable to Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem or denouncing the Fourth of July as sadistic.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Trump did strike some notes of unity, praising the Secret Service and denouncing political violence.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 July 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pillorying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillorying. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of pillorying

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

anecdote

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes