1
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
our neighbor loudly reproached us for tromping through his yard
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in admonishing
to criticize (someone) usually gently so as to correct a fault
she cleared her throat as a way of reproaching us for having our elbows on the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in censuring
to express public or formal disapproval of
the governor reproached the legislature for failing to pass the budget on time and once again throwing the state into fiscal chaos
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of reproaching
The pillow talk on Man’s Best Friend often takes the curt, assertive tone of a person reproaching a precocious pet.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reproaching
Verb
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First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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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Therefore, now is not the time to be lecturing our partners and allies.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
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That includes lecturing, building curriculum, pursuing research and speaking about university policy.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hart was reprimanding Ross for doing what is the most offensive thing a comedian can do — suck up to the most important person in the room — and enforcing an old ethic in comedy, which is not apologizing for your jokes.—
Robert Lynch,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Indeed, Ye didn’t say much of anything during the two-hour concert beyond a number of reprimanding comments directed at his stage crew.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In his community, Bustamante likened it to denouncing Catholicism and removing photos of the pope.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Documenting and denouncing shootings and arson attacks are easy.—
Jesse Brown,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rory McIlroy was similarly vocal, criticizing the league, Saudi Arabian money, the players, and CEO Norman.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took a swipe at fellow Justice Brett Kavanaugh at an event on April 7, criticizing her bench-mate for his recent opinion in an immigration case.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That year, the family of a patient who died filed a lawsuit blaming him for failing to diagnose her lung cancer.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
9 Apr. 2026
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There are ways of pointing this out without explicitly blaming her.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reproaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reproaching. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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