1
as in to admonish
to criticize (someone) usually gently so as to correct a fault
my piano teacher often reproves me for slouching while playing, observing that good posture helps one play better
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to censure
to express public or formal disapproval of
the principal reproved the hockey team for their display of poor sportsmanship on the ice and ordered that a letter of apology be sent to the other school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dislike
to hold an unfavorable opinion of
the older generation has always reproved the younger generation's taste in music
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reprove
Gallant reportedly meant to reprove the officer for failing to do enough about settler violence.
—
Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2024
Regional and international groups and leaders rallied behind Caracas, reproving the sanctions as illegitimate.
—Lauren Carasik, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2015
If the Pets fail to reprove the demonization of Trump and Morrissey — disregarding hateful partisan fashion—their diminished integrity will be one of the consequences.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Sep. 2024
The son of immigrants — a hard-drinking father from Scotland and a reproving mother from Germany — Baird and his siblings grew up poor in Brooklyn, N.Y.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 July 2024
Both films reprove today’s lack of soul-searching — that’s our real existential crisis.
—Armond White, National Review, 11 Oct. 2023
In the early 2000s, Latter-day Saints were learning via social media about controversial elements of their faith’s past — including details about polygamy provided by the scholars, like Quinn, who were reproved by the church.
—Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Sep. 2023
Her question drew reproving looks and boos from the crowd.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
Until Elliott reproves that, none of those three assumptions should drive Dallas’ game plan.
—Jori Epstein, USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2019
Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2024
Regional and international groups and leaders rallied behind Caracas, reproving the sanctions as illegitimate.
—Lauren Carasik, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2015
If the Pets fail to reprove the demonization of Trump and Morrissey — disregarding hateful partisan fashion—their diminished integrity will be one of the consequences.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Sep. 2024
The son of immigrants — a hard-drinking father from Scotland and a reproving mother from Germany — Baird and his siblings grew up poor in Brooklyn, N.Y.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 July 2024
Both films reprove today’s lack of soul-searching — that’s our real existential crisis.
—Armond White, National Review, 11 Oct. 2023
In the early 2000s, Latter-day Saints were learning via social media about controversial elements of their faith’s past — including details about polygamy provided by the scholars, like Quinn, who were reproved by the church.
—Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Sep. 2023
Her question drew reproving looks and boos from the crowd.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
Until Elliott reproves that, none of those three assumptions should drive Dallas’ game plan.
—Jori Epstein, USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprove
Verb
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But the report, through analysis provided by third-party law enforcement experts, admonished the tactics and actions surrounding the shooting.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
18 June 2025
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Lucas admonished employers to review their DEI policies and eliminate those that may violate Title VII’s ban on discrimination against majority and minority employees alike.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Two days later, the House approved a resolution to censure Green in a contentious 224-198 vote that progressed into a shouting match between lawmakers.—
Mackenzie Thomas,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2025
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The day before, on Thursday, in Vienna the 35-nation Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency ruled that Iran was not complying with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations and censured the Islamic Republic.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2025
Verb
-
The dads, Brads and Chads who dislike Swift made their negative thoughts known in the comments, but the one that really mattered came from Kelce.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
-
And Trump has disliked what he’s heard about a proposal that senators like Hawley and Tillis say will cost their states dearly.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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That brief timeline likely means that Combs — who has been reprimanded by Judge Arun Subramanian for nodding at jurors while his defense attorneys cross-examine government witnesses — will not take the stand.—
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento,
NPR,
24 June 2025
-
But Pitt later said in an interview with GQ in 2024 that Alcoholics Anonymous reprimanded him for talking about his experience with the group publicly.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Administration officials have sharply condemned the leak, and signaled that access to classified systems would be restricted.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
26 June 2025
-
What to Know As Arab states rushed to condemn U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear sites and to call for diplomacy, Syria was notably absent.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
At a time when establishing clarity of first principles has never been more urgent, UF’s law school practically dared anyone to criticize the award for whitewashing the Constitution.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2025
-
So how might the author of that manifesto criticize this play?—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Paul Krugman has referred to deficit hawks as ‘deficit scolds’, because the spend more time warning about the dangers of the deficit than fixing it.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
Musk and Gor reportedly clashed in Cabinet meetings where Musk scolded Gor over personnel disagreements in recent months.—
Ally Goelz,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Road America punishes hesitation and rewards nerve, making every session breathtaking.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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Several changes were made to the course in 2024 to reward good shots and punish bad ones without adding any yardage.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reprove.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprove. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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