reproach 1 of 2

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as in disgrace
a cause of shame your public display of boorish behavior is a reproach to this entire school

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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reproach

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reproach contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of reproach are admonish, chide, rebuke, reprimand, and reprove. While all these words mean "to criticize adversely," reproach and chide suggest displeasure or disappointment expressed in mild reproof or scolding.

reproached him for tardiness
chided by their mother for untidiness

In what contexts can admonish take the place of reproach?

While the synonyms admonish and reproach are close in meaning, admonish suggests earnest or friendly warning and counsel.

admonished by my parents to control expenses

When can rebuke be used instead of reproach?

The words rebuke and reproach are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rebuke suggests a sharp or stern reproof.

the papal letter rebuked dissenting clerics

When could reprimand be used to replace reproach?

Although the words reprimand and reproach have much in common, reprimand implies a severe, formal, often public or official rebuke.

reprimanded by the ethics committee

Where would reprove be a reasonable alternative to reproach?

In some situations, the words reprove and reproach are roughly equivalent. However, reprove implies an often kindly intent to correct a fault.

gently reproved my table manners

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reproach
Noun
The likelihood of being dealt is a best-guess projection (from red as unlikely through yellow to green as likely) and the rankings are beyond reproach. Eno Sarris, New York Times, 18 June 2025 Tiger Woods Video Explaining Scottie Scheffler's Greatness Scottie Scheffler Reveals What Separates Him From PGA Championship Field Then there is obviously a host of others that are currently above reproach. Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Verb
Bellingham reproached the Ballon d'Or favourite for being greedy, but Ancelotti only saw positives in the exchange. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024 The woman eventually jumps back to the other side of the baggage conveyor belt but continued to reproach employees. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for reproach
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reproach
Noun
  • The ladies move closer to God through acts of disobedience, debauchery, and disgrace; by visiting seedy places and commingling with the disreputable.
    Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Ireland didn’t disgrace themselves, but using four bowlers in the first four overs said everything about where their problems were in the first-ever T20 game hosted against their nearest neighbor.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In a wide-ranging interview in Doha, two weeks after surviving an Israeli air-strike on a Hamas compound in the Qatari capital, Ghazi Hamad highlighted growing international condemnation of Israel’s offensive in Gaza and the spate of countries who have recognized Palestinian statehood.
    Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The announcement and the administration's claims have drawn widespread condemnation from medical experts and researchers.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And on the top right are the inhibitory emotions — emotions like anxiety, shame and guilt; their job is to push down our core emotions, which are at the bottom of the triangle.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Being intimate with Olivia helped my shame dissipate.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Miss Sammie flashed the scolding look Jean had known since childhood, though playfully now.
    David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Chun also scolded attorneys for Amazon in July for withholding thousands of documents from the FTC and abusing a legal privilege to shield them from scrutiny.
    Annie Palmer, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • There is a form of right-of-center liberalism that is content with status hierarchies, that is very unhappy with anything that makes people feel reprimanded.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), threatened networks to reprimand Kimmel.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • On September 18, the House narrowly rejected the resolution to censure Omar over her remarks and social media posts following the assassination of Kirk.
    Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Doctors, lawyers and first responders have been fired, suspended, censured or investigated.
    Michael Collins, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But mistrust around vaccines persists, fueled by historic public health scandals like the Tuskegee Study, where a group of Black men were misled to believe they were being treated for syphilis between 1932 and 1972.
    Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Continue reading … HONOR CODE BUST – Navy scandal rocks Democratic candidate as new poll shows gubernatorial race tied.
    , FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The general contempt with which fans are held.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
  • And Sunuwar, who miraculously survived, became, in the eyes of the public, another casualty of the governing élite’s contempt for ordinary Nepalis.
    Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reproach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reproach. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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