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
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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
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2
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rebuke
Jared Gans, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
Grand jurors in Washington declined to sign off on charges in the latest of a series of rebukes of prosecutors by citizens in the nation’s capital, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Matthew Kelly
february 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
That sparked a back-and-forth between the offices as Johnson’s spokesperson said Burke’s office in fact provided feedback on the order’s language, which the state’s attorney’s team rebuked.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebuke
Noun
Three House Republicans crossed party lines late Tuesday to vote against a rule that would have prohibited members of Congress from calling votes to repeal the administration’s wide-ranging tariffs, in a major rebuke of the president.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
Grand jurors in Washington declined to sign off on charges in the latest of a series of rebukes of prosecutors by citizens in the nation’s capital, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
That’s when Ken Church, a 74-year-old Leavenworth resident and retired teacher, spoke up to rebuke Bateman from his seat on the side of the crowded room.
—Matthew Kelly
february 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
That sparked a back-and-forth between the offices as Johnson’s spokesperson said Burke’s office in fact provided feedback on the order’s language, which the state’s attorney’s team rebuked.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebuke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuke
Noun
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His detention on Thursday drew sharp condemnation from press freedom advocates, who described it as an attack on media independence and democratic norms.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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Russia reportedly struck Ukraine’s power infrastructure on Tuesday, drawing condemnation from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Several told the Herald they were reprimanded for speaking to the media to promote the cultural events being hosted by the center.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
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Following the meeting, Green was reprimanded by a captain for failing to review the video with the officers.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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He is being groomed, playing, testing boundaries and even being scolded which are all part of normal social learning for young macaques.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has censured Kelly for participating in the video and is trying to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Advertisement Last month, Arizona’s Kelly sued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense for taking administrative actions to demote and censure him over the video.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Special Name Guy would be the first to admonish me for that.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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On Wednesday, reports circulated that Cioni, Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law, had been identified as a possible suspect, but Sheriff Nanos quickly shot that down in a note that admonished members of the media who reported him as a person of interest without confirmation.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some of us have guest lectured in his law school class on the Arkansas Constitution, and his passion for our state's rich heritage is evident.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 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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Yoon’s shocking declaration revived dark memories of the country’s authoritarian past, plunged South Korea into a constitutional crisis and was widely condemned as striking at the heart of the nation’s democracy.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports, Matvii Bidnyi, strongly condemned the decision and said officials from the country would not take part in any Paralympic events, though Ukrainian athletes would still compete.—
Mariia Kashchenko,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Since last fall, the Media Research Center, a right-wing organization that criticizes legacy media outlets, has turned its attention on Apple News’ story selection.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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While the vote was unanimous, Trustee Jamela Smith-Folds criticized the majority of her colleagues who approved new contracts with two of the district’s labor groups, United Teachers of Richmond and Teamsters Local 856, the union representing custodial staff, cafeteria workers and others.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebuke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuke. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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