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 Synonyms for ragging
Verb
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This ancient poem isn’t interested in scolding women for their sexuality, but in the establishment of honor in the elite household.
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The princess hilariously put her little brother in his place by scolding him.
Verb
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College professors spend less time lecturing than a typical sportswriter creating fake controversies to criticize.
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If and until that day comes, there will be fingerpointing, lecturing and posturing, all of which has flowed freely in the wake of the Sorsby decision.
Verb
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Earlier this week, Scott Agness claimed his press credentials were revoked by the team after his reporting led to the WNBA reprimanding the Fever for not being transparent about Clark’s health status during a game on May 20.
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If something’s not done as far as reprimanding, what will that do to him as a student?
Verb
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Rodrigo eventually countered that her detractors were blaming the wrong person.
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On Thursday, the company was sued by a Canadian blaming the chatbot for her daughter’s decision to hang herself.
Verb
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The group issued a point-by-point analysis of the memorandum, criticizing it for potentially freeing up tens of billions of dollars for Iran without putting sufficient safeguards to ensure the country won’t use the money to fund operations against the United States.
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The week, however, was not without controversy for the South Korean team, as the squad barred press from their home country after audio of media criticizing the mandatory military service exemption granted to Son was leaked.
Cite this Entry
“Ragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ragging. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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