as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
we could hear the cook in the kitchen railing against his assistant and wondered if we'd ever get our food
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rail (at or against)
Verb
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On Thursday, when speaking to reporters at the White House, Vice President JD Vance scolded the media for not mentioning that the same ICE officer who shot Good was previously seriously injured during the car-dragging incident.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026 -
This is not a bunch of people trying to scold for something that is a part of some kind of ideology.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Christian author Philip Yancey is retiring from writing and lecturing after admitting to a long-running affair with a married woman.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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After teaching at Sacramento City College and lecturing at UC Davis, Fisher moved into public history, working with the California Office of Historic Preservation and the Architectural History Department at Caltrans.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Performers have been reprimanded for making racist, sexist and homophobic jokes during shows in the late 1990s and 2000s, according to Westword, and Stock Show officials were quick to apologize.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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His popularity in other corners was evident in an October appearance on The View, in which cohost Whoopi Goldberg had to reprimand the audience for shouting out too many supportive exclamations.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Scott said, when he was called down to the lobby, James threatened his family.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
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On July 14th, Etoria was called down to intake with a group of men of diverse nationalities.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The handy bag goes with just about any outfit and can be dressed down for dog walks or dressed up for dinner out on the town.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
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These pull-on style pants can easily be dressed down with a T-shirt to wear casually, or with a nice blouse or dress shirt and be boardroom-ready.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Women stopped to bawl out the police, who accepted this dressing-down with quiet embarrassment.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
11 Aug. 2020
Verb
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Many blame homeless persons for the problem, while others point to professional haulers who use the streets as a place to dump refuse to avoid disposal fees.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Ground beef price spike is blamed on several factors, most prevalent weather and drought.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of the standard chewing out, the senior played a clip of his freshman defensive back counterpart recognizing a screen, shedding a block and securing the first solo tackle of his career against No. 5 Georgia last week.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
10 Nov. 2025
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Being chewed out was nothing new, part of life as a football player.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rail (at or against).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rail%20%28at%20or%20against%29. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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