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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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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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
Ironically, Bessette-Kennedy’s trend-rebuking dress became the blueprint for brides all over the world.
—
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
An inflation report earlier this week came in lower than economists expected, however, rebuking policymakers' worst fears.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2025
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
An inflation report earlier this week came in lower than economists expected, however, rebuking policymakers' worst fears.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuking
Verb
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When thinking of productivity, admonishing people to work harder won’t cut it.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Minaj responded by admonishing him and mentioning his past arrest for domestic violence against his mother.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The inscriptions also reference El, a deity associated with the Abrahamic God, while censuring the ancient pagan goddess Ba`alat.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This is the last organization that should be lecturing anyone about respecting the game.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
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Faculty across the state rebuked it as an infringement on academic freedom and warned of a mass chilling effect on free speech and lecturing on divisive topics.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Democrats have responded by condemning Kirk's assassination and all political violence, which has become increasingly common against members of both parties and individuals of all stripes.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The reaction to Noack's viral Instagram post has been overwhelming, with many people criticizing her and her parenting style.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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The dispute also drew in renowned rabblerouser Wack 100, who defended Adam22 while criticizing Styles’ stance.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere in the book, Sheen writes about his public meltdown amid his firing from his hit CBS sitcom, blaming his rage on testosterone cream.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Republicans control a trifecta in Washington — the House, Senate and White House — meaning that blaming Democrats for a shutdown could be a hard sell.—
Aris Folley,
The Hill,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hoffman, the lawmaker who was shot and wounded in June, and his family also issued a statement denouncing Kirk’s death.—
Mark Vancleave,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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He was dismissed from the show that March after publicly denouncing series creator Chuck Lorre, and Kutcher was officially named as his replacement in May.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is likely to prevent the bloc from punishing other nations for doing business with Moscow, when the EU does so too — albeit at a far lower level than before the Ukraine war began in 2022.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
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But even this nod to forgiveness is relatively punishing, since the health refill freezes your character in a defenseless pose for a few seconds.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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