as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
several readers called in to rag the editor for his paper's repeated grammatical lapses
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Recent Examples of ragging
In November, Green spoke to PEOPLE at the 2025 CMA Awards in Nashville, and shared a similar story about his friends ragging on him for being crowned Sexiest Country Star Alive.
—
Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ragging
Verb
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Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
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Sanders, by now a perennial candidate, perfected his craggy, scolding, mitten-waving style.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Katie da Cunha Lewin is a writer based in London, currently lecturing in 20th and 21st-century literature at Coventry University.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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Sometimes the messages got feisty, with Epstein lecturing Karp over a fee.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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Censures, a means of formally reprimanding a lawmaker without going so far as to expel them, have historically been rare; in the 200 years after Congress first convened, only 22 House members were censured.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Deranque's death triggered a storm of recriminations, mostly blaming France Unbowed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
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Trump has singled out Moore for criticism, blaming him for a Potomac sewage spill, assailing his handing of Baltimore's bridge collapse and invoking a controversy over his military record.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sun Sentinel commentary criticizing legislation that would allow Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System to collaborate overlooks the real needs of patients, and the data before us.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
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Some of the very people criticizing you are the ones asking for more access.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ragging. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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