as in reprimanded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
he scolded the kids for not cleaning up the mess they had made in the kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 scolded
This time, however, Charlotte promptly scolded him for his untoward behavior.
—
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 13 June 2026
Four years ago, Infantino scolded critics during a news conference ahead of the opener in Qatar.
—Carlos Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
And last year, Vice President Vance scolded his German hosts at the Munich Security Conference for isolating hard-right parties that organize around white nationalism.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
The child, now 6 years old, only hears her full name when she's being scolded — though Kendra and Bill are currently trying to undo that pattern.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
Katie Porter scolded, Tom Steyer channeled Bernie.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The victim said he was singled out for laughing, scolded, and told to continue reading before being ordered into the hallway.
—Peter D'oench, CBS News, 5 May 2026
Rogers scolded Musk on Tuesday morning for his recent social media posts about the trial and threatened a gag order before the jury arrived in the courtroom.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Leon scolded Justice Department attorneys for arguing that the entire project needed to go forward for national security reasons, before previously distinguishing between the bunker below ground and the ballroom above ground.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 13 June 2026
Four years ago, Infantino scolded critics during a news conference ahead of the opener in Qatar.
—Carlos Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
And last year, Vice President Vance scolded his German hosts at the Munich Security Conference for isolating hard-right parties that organize around white nationalism.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
The child, now 6 years old, only hears her full name when she's being scolded — though Kendra and Bill are currently trying to undo that pattern.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
Katie Porter scolded, Tom Steyer channeled Bernie.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The victim said he was singled out for laughing, scolded, and told to continue reading before being ordered into the hallway.
—Peter D'oench, CBS News, 5 May 2026
Rogers scolded Musk on Tuesday morning for his recent social media posts about the trial and threatened a gag order before the jury arrived in the courtroom.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Leon scolded Justice Department attorneys for arguing that the entire project needed to go forward for national security reasons, before previously distinguishing between the bunker below ground and the ballroom above ground.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scolded
Verb
-
Specifically, Ingram was reprimanded for allowing two employees, Butler and his former executive assistant, Gabriela Gudino, to baby-sit his children, and inviting them to Boise State football games.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
17 June 2026
-
Behind closed doors, ProPublica revealed, the majority-Republican state Supreme Court quashed the commission’s recommendations that two Republican judges who’d admitted to committing egregious conduct violations be publicly reprimanded.—
Doug Bock Clark,
ProPublica,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Sharon is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an Honorary Member of the UK Association of Jungian Analysts, and has taught and lectured at many academic institutions, Jungian organisations, retreat centres and cultural festivals around the world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
It was also being lectured by people who presented a formulaic perspective on a complicated future that the class of 2026 is already navigating.—
Ann Kirschner,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Greenspan was also criticized for enacting policies that contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis that led to the recession at the end of the 2000s.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
-
The Federal Reserve’s steadfast period of low interest rates in the 2000s was criticized as contributing to a housing bubble in the 2000s, followed by the mortgage crisis of 2007 and the Great Recession the following year.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
An Israeli source told CNN that Netanyahu has also privately blamed Kushner and Witkoff for creating a wedge between the two leaders.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Amid mounting public criticism, the White House took down the video and blamed an unnamed aide.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Beyond failing to qualify for the 2024 Euros, Barbarez admonished the association’s leadership for its 2022 decision to schedule friendlies with Russia soon after it was banned by FIFA and UEFA for invading Ukraine.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Judge Timothy Mazzei then admonished Heuermann.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scolded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scolded. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
