1
as in admonishing
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reprimanding
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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Recent Examples of rebuking
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor, rebuking the signature policy of the most powerful man in the country and siding with a group of small business owners, including Schwartz.
—
Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026
Judges are growing increasingly frustrated, publicly rebuking the administration for missing deadlines and failing to comply with court orders.
—Pratheek Rebala, ProPublica, 10 Feb. 2026
The two moderate senators’ comments stand out amid the GOP’s apparent reservation about rebuking Noem publicly, even though many have called for an investigation into Pretti’s fatal shooting.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded directly to Merz’s Tuesday comments, rebuking the condemnation of the Islamic Republic.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2026
Administration officials say the lower court judges rebuking them are the ones who are lawless and a threat to the nation.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Nas sounds hungry again, his dense, circular writing a tangle of flashbacks and evocative images of preachers rebuking demons and Yoda smoking blunts.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
The last inmate caught after an audacious New Orleans jailbreak was sentenced Friday to two life sentences over a 2018 double murder, with the Louisiana judge rebuking him for the disruption caused by his five months on the run.
—CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
In calling out Miller—who became Coastal Carolina’s AD last year—the NCAA was, in effect, rebuking one of its own.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Nov. 2025
Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026
Judges are growing increasingly frustrated, publicly rebuking the administration for missing deadlines and failing to comply with court orders.
—Pratheek Rebala, ProPublica, 10 Feb. 2026
The two moderate senators’ comments stand out amid the GOP’s apparent reservation about rebuking Noem publicly, even though many have called for an investigation into Pretti’s fatal shooting.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded directly to Merz’s Tuesday comments, rebuking the condemnation of the Islamic Republic.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2026
Administration officials say the lower court judges rebuking them are the ones who are lawless and a threat to the nation.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Nas sounds hungry again, his dense, circular writing a tangle of flashbacks and evocative images of preachers rebuking demons and Yoda smoking blunts.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
The last inmate caught after an audacious New Orleans jailbreak was sentenced Friday to two life sentences over a 2018 double murder, with the Louisiana judge rebuking him for the disruption caused by his five months on the run.
—CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
In calling out Miller—who became Coastal Carolina’s AD last year—the NCAA was, in effect, rebuking one of its own.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuking
Verb
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Parliament Vice President Nicolae Ștefănuță quickly intervened, admonishing the lawmaker for his language and warning of consequences.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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The outlet reported that the mother of Jamieson’s child spoke out in court, admonishing him for the violent attack on their daughter last January.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In footage that circulated on social media after Sunday's telecast, the 35-year-old Best Supporting Actress nominee and recording artist was shown reprimanding someone off camera while others stepped between them.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
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Even the universe seems to be reprimanding Taylor, because the women coincidentally run into Jesse Palmer, the host of The Bachelorette, at brunch.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In 2010, a grand jury indicted former House Speaker Ray Sansom on grand theft and conspiracy charges and issued a 10-page presentment criticizing the Legislature’s appropriations process.—
Lawrence Mower,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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Moore also pointed out flaws in facial recognition technology as a whole, criticizing its early, widespread adoption by law enforcement agencies worldwide.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Therefore, now is not the time to be lecturing our partners and allies.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
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That includes lecturing, building curriculum, pursuing research and speaking about university policy.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Brown, the lone vote against Martinez’s item, said offering trainings to all councilmembers without mandating it for the mayor and not censuring him absolved Martinez of accountability.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Those choices included censuring and sanctioning me, a military veteran commissioned through CU Boulder, the only Black Regent, and the first Black woman to serve on the board in 43 years.—
Wanda James,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the interview, Guthrie talked about blaming herself.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
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The incident took on a life of its own after Ada’s mother and stepfather issued social media statements blaming Roan for the interaction.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Other European leaders have gone further by condemning the conflict and refusing any help at all.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
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The board said renaming the holiday will honor the collective contributions of farm workers and their impact on communities, while also supporting survivors and condemning all forms of abuse.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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