as in condemnation
an often public or formal expression of disapproval
delivered a stinging rebuke to the Congress, calling for an end to backstabbing and arguing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to reprimand
to criticize (someone) so as to correct a fault
the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to censure
to express public or formal disapproval of
in a rare move, the state's supreme court rebuked the governor for trying to circumvent one of its recent rulings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rebuke
Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
House Republicans are poised to deliver two rare rebukes of Trump on Thursday.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Anthropic has rebuked federal government efforts to preempt state-level oversight of AI — a notably different stance than that of OpenAI, which has pushed for less regulation.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebuke
Noun
The vote represents a rebuke of Trump from the second-term senator.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
House Republicans are poised to deliver two rare rebukes of Trump on Thursday.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
An homage to millions of anonymous victims, the work implicitly rebukes the nearby figurative sculptures of slaveholders.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Anthropic has rebuked federal government efforts to preempt state-level oversight of AI — a notably different stance than that of OpenAI, which has pushed for less regulation.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebuke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuke
Noun
-
The shooting inflamed tensions a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, prompting protests and condemnation from state and city officials there.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Elon Musk’s xAI has restricted its AI chatbot Grok’s image generation capabilities to paying subscribers only, following widespread condemnation over its use to create non-consensual sexualized images of real women and children.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Nawat Itsaragrisil, president of Miss Grand International (MGI), was seen scolding Fatima Bosch, a 25-year-old contestant from Mexico, ahead of the 74th Miss Universe competition being held in Bangkok later this month.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
No doubt many grandmothers will want to scold us, but the truth is, soap isn't going to destroy your cast iron pans.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Recently, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth censured Kelly, aiming to reduce his rank and its commensurate pension.—
Michael Szalma,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Instead, Hegseth censured Kelly, and prepared to demote Kelly, which would affect his pension.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During the meeting, Mayor Jim Jarratt repeatedly admonished speakers to stay on the topic of annexation.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Jan. 2026
-
On Tuesday, Judge Gregory Stuart Parker, the Taylor County circuit judge appointed to oversee the disciplinary case, recommended that Uhlfelder be admonished and required him to complete an ethics class.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Most lawmakers who condemned the incident did not call it a murder in their public statements.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The United States should be condemned by the international community and all peoples of this earth.—
Elie Mystal,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Bibelheimer also had good reason to criticize the film, as Ferrell’s portrayal of her was wildly at odds with the truth.—
Sarah Weinman,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebuke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuke. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share