riot acts

noun

plural of riot act
as in condemnations
an often public or formal expression of disapproval at a specially called meeting, he read the riot act to his staff for their poor handling of the crisis

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for riot acts
  1. condemnations
  2. reprimands
Noun
  • While the federal government has the power to initiate eminent domain actions – also called condemnations – most are done by state and local governments.
    — Aaron Walayat, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
  • The government’s unprecedented move this week sparked condemnations across the political and legal spectrum, sounding the alarm that Israel was becoming a country whose executive no longer felt bound by the rule of law.
    — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 10 July 2026
Definition of condemnations
Noun
  • The reprimands have gone beyond rhetoric.
    — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
  • The judiciary's system for policing misconduct includes punishment such as informal warnings and public reprimands.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 9 June 2026
Definition of reprimands
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.

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riot act
riot acts
riotous
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Cite this Entry

“Riot acts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riot%20acts. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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