as in scolding
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 railing (at or against)
Verb
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But Saxon said Ye kept him constantly on edge, demanding photo updates of construction work, scolding him for wearing blue instead of the all-black worker uniform Ye preferred, and suddenly adding 24/7 security duties to his workload.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
25 Feb. 2026 -
Porter was initially viewed as having a potential edge in the race, but her prospects dimmed after videos emerged in October of the UC Irvine law professor scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That includes lecturing, building curriculum, pursuing research and speaking about university policy.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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During her six-year tenure, Porter often went viral for wielding a whiteboard to emphasize her points while dressing down corporate executives in congressional hearings.—
Lia Russell
February 19,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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The point of dressing down is to show solidarity with those fighting NF, which impacts 1 in every 2,500 people.—
Rashad Alexander,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Still, don’t discount the power of comforting or reprimanding statements, because both are necessary in their own ways.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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Kiros previously worked for a law firm and wrote an open letter in 2023 criticizing how law firms were responding in 2023 to pro-Palestinian protests.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
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And Britt has refrained from mentioning the boy in her public remarks, instead focusing on criticizing Democrats for refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security amid negotiations.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The cost of energy has forced its way up the EU political agenda, with heavy industry blaming it for factory closures and the US and Israeli war with Iran sending oil and gas prices spiking.—
Ewa Krukowska,
Bloomberg,
5 Mar. 2026
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He had been arrested for being among 17 political activists, artists and human rights lawyers who signed an open letter blaming then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for the killing of thousands of anti-government protesters.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The episode ends with Kyle’s mom chewing out Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his actions in the ongoing war.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
25 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Railing (at or against).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/railing%20%28at%20or%20against%29. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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