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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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
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
Chase was heard on a hot microphone on the sideline angrily rebuking the unit for its inability to stop the Chicago Bears on the final drive of Sunday's game.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 20 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
Chase was heard on a hot microphone on the sideline angrily rebuking the unit for its inability to stop the Chicago Bears on the final drive of Sunday's game.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 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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But Saxon said Ye kept him constantly on edge, demanding photo updates of construction work, scolding him for wearing blue instead of the all-black worker uniform Ye preferred, and suddenly adding 24/7 security duties to his workload.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
25 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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Still, don’t discount the power of comforting or reprimanding statements, because both are necessary in their own ways.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
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Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Many of the same political leaders directing this war spent years criticizing the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.—
Shawn Vandiver,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have released a number of reports criticizing the Israeli military for failing to provide sufficient evidence for its attacks on Lebanese targets.—
Justin Salhani,
The Dial,
5 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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Mamdani and other officials have warned the city is in dire financial straits, largely blaming chronic underbudgeting under the previous mayoral administration.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
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The villagers start blaming the recluse ‘witch’ of the village who is known to practice black magic.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Others in conservative media, including Dan Bongino and Dave Rubin, followed Shapiro with similar language in condemning Owens for Bride of Charlie.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
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Officials and activists from across Southeast Michigan were in downtown Detroit in front of the federal building on Wednesday, condemning the air strike on Iran.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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