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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rebuking
Medical schools and institutions must be at the forefront of teaching about the inequities that persist to this day — and equally at the forefront of rebuking studies like the hepatitis B vaccine trial.
—
Uzma Rentia, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
In recent months, however, Warsh has voiced support for lower interest rates, rebuking the Fed’s concern about inflation risk posed by a flurry of new tariffs issued last year.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 21 Apr. 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
Uzma Rentia, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
In recent months, however, Warsh has voiced support for lower interest rates, rebuking the Fed’s concern about inflation risk posed by a flurry of new tariffs issued last year.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 21 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuking
Verb
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But investigators eventually cracked the passcode on Paul Murdaugh’s phone and found a video with a barking dog and Alex Murdaugh’s voice admonishing it five minutes before the young man stopped using his phone.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Tisch lauded her officers for taking action while admonishing the dangers of violent crime.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 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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If something’s not done as far as reprimanding, what will that do to him as a student?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Hart was reprimanding Ross for doing what is the most offensive thing a comedian can do — suck up to the most important person in the room — and enforcing an old ethic in comedy, which is not apologizing for your jokes.—
Robert Lynch,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Just months into Powell’s chairmanship in 2018, Trump started criticizing him and the central bank for not lowering rates.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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Schumer wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin earlier this month warning that new AI systems could dramatically accelerate cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, while criticizing the agency for its response thus far.—
Lauren Morganbesser,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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At Yale, where Garber began her career, Jacques Derrida was a frequent visitor, and Paul de Man might be found down the corridor solemnly lecturing on Nietzsche.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
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How do teachers carry on teaching, lecturing, checking homework and having students prepare for assessments, and how do students enjoy the pleasures that extracurricular activities bring?—
Jerald McNair,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As this memoir opens, Iran’s morality police stalk the university where Nafisi works, censuring her female students.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
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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
Verb
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Medicare fraud has become a hot political topic, with Republicans and Democrats each blaming the other party for the problem.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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The Newsom administration estimates that thousands of victims of the Los Angeles wildfires cannot afford to rebuild, blaming a lack of access to affordable loans and a gap between insurance payouts and the cost to build again.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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More than 2,100 artists including Brian Eno, Massive Attack and Peter Gabriel signed an open letter condemning Israel’s participation, while a separate open letter signed by over 1,000 figures, including Helen Mirren, Amy Schumer and Scooter Braun, supported Israel’s participation in the contest.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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Shame on any educational institution that censors speech condemning it.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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