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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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
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Leaders listen instead of lecturing.—
W. Jeff Williams,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While condemning Hamas, Nadler reiterated his support for a two-state Palestinian solution, while rejecting claims that Israel is committing genocide.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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The move is described as a political signal also aimed at condemning Israel's settlement expansion and military presence in the territories.—
Mrinmay Dey,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams has peppered his reelection campaign with AI photos and videos criticizing his opponents, in some of the first indications of how the technology will be integrated into politics.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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It's believed that Sczczerek chose to share the statement from his business' social media account after the company was flooded with negative reviews criticizing his behavior.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The elaborate deception also was concealed by blaming the chaos of the pandemic as well as the Hollywood labor strikes, which roiled real production cycles during this period.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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Netanyahu has repeatedly attempted to deflect responsibility for the security lapses during the attacks of October 7, 2023, blaming security chiefs instead.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Alongside Russia and China, Iran issued a joint letter denouncing European efforts to reimpose United Nations snapback sanctions.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Camus is also denouncing the justice system in this book, right?—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To me, more pragmatism means moving away from the corrupt, capricious policies of the current administration, such as crony capitalism that imposes bogus tariffs on free trade, punishing leaders and countries the president dislikes while favoring those who flatter him.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Over the course of five months spanning from floods to extreme drought, an elite team of wildlife cinematographers capture unparalleled animal behavior using state-of-the-art thermal cameras and drone technology, filming 24/7 across punishing terrain.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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