1
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
reprimanded the summer intern for her constant tardiness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in admonishing
to criticize (someone) usually gently so as to correct a fault
reprimanded the student for using the lax grammar and punctuation of text messaging in a term paper
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in censuring
to express public or formal disapproval of
the president was forced to reprimand the general for publicly voicing his disagreements with the nation's foreign policy
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Recent Examples of reprimanding
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
When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.
—Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
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
Cast members immediately reacted to Caroline’s misgendering, with some reprimanding her, while others covered their faces in embarrassment.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 8 Oct. 2025
Connor Greene, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.
—Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
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
Cast members immediately reacted to Caroline’s misgendering, with some reprimanding her, while others covered their faces in embarrassment.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprimanding
Verb
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Sanders, by now a perennial candidate, perfected his craggy, scolding, mitten-waving style.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
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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
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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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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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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President Erdoğan mastered this approach—publicly criticizing rate decisions, invoking Islamic prohibitions on interest, signaling displeasure through state media—until governors either complied or departed.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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The Justice Department also launched a probe into Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over their public statements criticizing the presence of ICE in the state.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Oscar-winning singer-actress took a break during her Tokyo concert to spend a few minutes condemning ICE following the controversial deaths of two protesters at the hands of the immigration enforcement agents.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
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Local officials in Minneapolis were united in defending Omar and condemning the attacker.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Casey Higgins, however, said Price is ultimately responsible for disclosing conflicts of interest and argued blaming his subordinates was not a defense to corruption charges.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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However, your friends are blaming you for asking valid questions of someone who is mishandling funds and directly impacting your quality of life.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump made the threat via social media on Tuesday, denouncing al Maliki’s previous performance as prime minister and questioning his ideological alignment.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
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Minnesota companies had resisted publicly denouncing immigration operations in recent weeks.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reprimanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprimanding. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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