as in scolded
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 railed (at or against)
Verb
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Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026 -
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders scolded the media on Sunday after the team’s close loss to the Buffalo Bills at home.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Michael Woroniecki lectured about Satan being a very powerful force.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 2026
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If someone senses they’re being lectured or criticized, their walls will go up, and the conversation will stall.—
Devon Kuntzman,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dorsainvil recalled also being reprimanded for promoting an event at the center via a billboard and for speaking with media.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
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The law banning smoking in restaurants hadn’t yet taken effect, but Wheeler reprimanded him anyway.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Derpetrossian was working with a hot shot crew with the Angeles National Forest when he got called down to help fight fires that were popping up around Los Angeles while the Palisades Fire wreaked havoc on the city’s Westside.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
17 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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Rih dressed down the whimsy, in a white tee, jeans, and a fuzzyz white scarf.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2026
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And while a cape is an elevated design, it can also be dressed down, and jeans are a great way to do so.—
Morgan Evans,
InStyle,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Chinese state media criticized the H20 for lacking technological prowess and being environmentally unfriendly, with regulators eventually halting imports over security concerns.—
Joe Toscano,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Liston questioned why Pretti was carrying a handgun — which appeared to be removed from its holster by an officer just before the shooting — and Baisley criticized Minneapolis’ local leadership and immigrants without proper legal status.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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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About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Railed (at or against).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/railed%20%28at%20or%20against%29. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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