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
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
Burton signed an autograph for Hopkins, gently rebuking the boy for not speaking Welsh.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
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
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
Burton signed an autograph for Hopkins, gently rebuking the boy for not speaking Welsh.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuking
Verb
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These ridiculous charges led Swifties to bemoan the current political climate, admonishing left-leaning commentators for going overboard in their attempts to identify signs of cryptofascism in Swift’s work.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
9 Dec. 2025
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Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN chief Jimmy Pitaro sent a note to staff Friday, thanking them for the work and continued focus, while admonishing YouTube and its parent company Google for the dispute.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But more recently, groups of citizens have grown tired of scolding and have begun reaching for the birch rod.—
Nick Bowlin,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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But acknowledging, or god forbid, scolding the internet for laughing at Kirk would only give it all more power.—
Ryan Broderick,
Rolling Stone,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Censures, a means of formally reprimanding a lawmaker without going so far as to expel them, have historically been rare; in the 200 years after Congress first convened, only 22 House members were censured.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
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When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This third point is particularly important when there is an outspoken founder in the wings like Chip Wilson who has been publicly criticizing board decisions.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
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Since a shooting by an ICE agent in Minnesota killed a woman earlier this week, Martina Navratilova has shared dozens of X posts criticizing him and others in ICE.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Christian author Philip Yancey is retiring from writing and lecturing after admitting to a long-running affair with a married woman.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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After teaching at Sacramento City College and lecturing at UC Davis, Fisher moved into public history, working with the California Office of Historic Preservation and the Architectural History Department at Caltrans.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The House voted against censuring Plaskett in a 209-214-3 vote.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
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But, honestly, Meyers added, he wasn’t bothered by the attack, which is the latest in a line of Truth Social posts Trump has made censuring the comic.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The next day, in an email, Wynn appears to explain, blaming a dollar figure for teachers’ benefits that was mistakenly counted twice.—
Jennifer Palmer,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Jan. 2026
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Discussions about the strike and closure online often turn ugly and devolve into blaming one side or the other.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After condemning political violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death, Tisdale defended what many online considered to be a tribute to the conservative activist.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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On Thursday, though, Staios released an explosive statement condemning those who continue to spread stories or add to the spiraling rumor mill.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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