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
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
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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Caitlin Clark gave support to fellow WNBA star Napheesa Collier, who had referenced Clark when admonishing the league and commissioner Cathy Engelbert in fiery remarks earlier this week.—
Jill Martin,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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One of the most emblematic moments of the week came in the morning session when the camera and microphone caught McIlroy admonishing rowdy fans before a shot.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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Like an impatient parent scolding their toddler, Frankenstein grows frustrated with his monster’s limited capacity for speech.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
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To this end, Cucinelli urged the independent players to tap into the online commerce without betraying their identity of exclusivity and desirability, subtly reprimanding those who embraced the gray market outright.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kerr, who played for Popovich in San Antonio at the end of his career and has a strong relationship with his former coach, was asked about load management in the context of a prominent former teammate criticizing the concept.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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The former school board member turned charter school executive has built her platform by criticizing the public school system, promoting school choice and private alternatives – all while profiting from establishing and providing services to charter schools throughout the state and nation.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Since exiting Dries Van Noten a few years ago, Scallon has been working as an independent consultant and mentor in fashion communications strategy, also lecturing occasionally and sharing his views about creative content on podcasts.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
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The same woman Don had been lecturing about beer.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This could include sanctioning, censuring or suspending a judge, or recommending a judge be removed from office.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
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In 2023, the House, then run by Republicans, took the extraordinary step of censuring Schiff.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Houston leaders have downplayed the possibility of a serial killer following a rash of recent deaths involving the city's 2,500 miles of bayous, with Mayor John Whitmire blaming homelessness and substance abuse.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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Still, more broadly, Republicans are blaming Democrats for the SNAP cuts.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In response, hundreds of actors signed an open letter condemning the decision, including Paapa Essiedu, who is slated to play Severus Snape in the upcoming HBO Max television adaptation of Harry Potter.—
Quispe López,
Them.,
30 Oct. 2025
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The American Jewish Committee, one of the country’s most influential Jewish advocacy groups, took the unusual step of issuing a formal statement condemning Mamdani’s language.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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