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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Recent Examples of rebuking
Last year, however, Warsh voiced support for lower interest rates, rebuking the Fed's concern about inflation risk posed by a flurry of new tariffs.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 June 2026
The conservative Justices rewarded this strategy, rebuking not Alabama but the lower court for not being deferential enough to a state that had repeatedly demonstrated its determination to delay and obstruct.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
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
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
Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 June 2026
The conservative Justices rewarded this strategy, rebuking not Alabama but the lower court for not being deferential enough to a state that had repeatedly demonstrated its determination to delay and obstruct.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuking
Verb
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The other night Charles Barkley was admonishing people to stop wringing their hands about the Thunder being too physical with Wembanyama.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
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Many people flooded the comments with support for California gubernatorial front-runner Xavier Becerra while admonishing Espina, accusing him of being a traitor for endorsing Tom Steyer.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
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On March 12, the judge sought to change the journalists’ seating arrangement in court after scolding them for asking İmamoğlu questions during a hearing.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
9 June 2026
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Publicly, Ingoglia has become known for barnstorming the state to hold choreographed press conferences scolding cities and counties for wasteful spending.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Earlier this week, Scott Agness claimed his press credentials were revoked by the team after his reporting led to the WNBA reprimanding the Fever for not being transparent about Clark’s health status during a game on May 20.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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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
Verb
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The four leaders have also angered Trump by criticizing how he’s gone about executing the war and his lack of consultation with allies before jumping into a conflict that’s hurt the global economy as oil prices have surged.—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
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The four leaders have also angered Trump by criticizing how he's gone about executing the war and his lack of consultation with allies before jumping into a conflict that's hurt the global economy as oil prices have surged.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Verb
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One can scarcely imagine Davis agreeing to a management interview with Forbes or lecturing executives about organizational leadership.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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The cruel cartoon of a constantly shrewish, venal, and disloyal Mary began cementing itself in the public mind when William Herndon, Lincoln’s Springfield law partner, started lecturing about his reminiscences within months of the President’s murder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 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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One of the people blaming China is billionaire investor Kevin O’Leary, who is backing a $100 billion data center project in Utah.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
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Unable to cope with that, British voters are casting about blaming the politicians.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Oak Park officials issued a statement condemning antisemitism on Thursday after a home was vandalized with an antisemitic message.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
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The Art Directors Guild released a statement on social media on Tuesday condemning Martin Scorsese’s recent partnership with AI startup Black Forest Labs.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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