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 came after Nick Saban jokingly scolded himself for not fielding Sayin during their weeks-long overlap in 2023’s postseason at Alabama.
—
Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Trump, then in his first term as president, scolded police in a social media post for not protecting the statue.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
George Clooney is looking back at one of the more surreal moments from his early Hollywood days — getting personally scolded by the legendary Frank Sinatra.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2025
The Royal Dutch Medical Association scolded the psychiatrists, and prosecutors declined to act.
—Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
In 2013, then-President Barack Obama penned a thank-you letter to federal employees for their service and scolded Congress for failing to approve a spending plan, without placing blame.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Rachel Dratch scolded Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz for laughing while rehearsing the original Debbie Downer sketch on Saturday Night Live.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
There, she is repeatedly scolded, first by a testy parking attendant (Mark Stolzenberg), and then by a doctor (Bronstein), who warns Linda of consequences if her daughter doesn’t soon reach her target weight of fifty pounds.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 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
Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Trump, then in his first term as president, scolded police in a social media post for not protecting the statue.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
George Clooney is looking back at one of the more surreal moments from his early Hollywood days — getting personally scolded by the legendary Frank Sinatra.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2025
The Royal Dutch Medical Association scolded the psychiatrists, and prosecutors declined to act.
—Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
In 2013, then-President Barack Obama penned a thank-you letter to federal employees for their service and scolded Congress for failing to approve a spending plan, without placing blame.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Rachel Dratch scolded Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz for laughing while rehearsing the original Debbie Downer sketch on Saturday Night Live.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
There, she is repeatedly scolded, first by a testy parking attendant (Mark Stolzenberg), and then by a doctor (Bronstein), who warns Linda of consequences if her daughter doesn’t soon reach her target weight of fifty pounds.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scolded
Verb
-
What To Know On November 4, Itsaragrisil publicly reprimanded Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, during a sashing ceremony at a hotel in Bangkok.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Parents’ ongoing protest of teacher removal Rupert has received an outpouring of support since she was reprimanded and transferred to Isador Cohen Elementary for pulling up old carpet in her classroom.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Cheen also lectured on the music industry across Asia and Australia.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Augusta was a devout Christian who often lectured the Bible to her sons and blamed alcohol and women for the evils of the world, per the outlet.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
However, in the years since, the study has been criticized and cited as a major reason for existing stigma against hormone therapy.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Morton has been criticized by the fan base for the lack of efficiency from this offense.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Suharto blamed the coup on communists, ousted then-President Sukarno – the country’s first post-independence leader – and sanctioned a hunt for those responsible.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Delhi was the target of blasts during the 1980s and 1990s, with public places such as bus stations and crowded market areas hit in attacks blamed on Islamist militants or on separatists from the northern Sikh state of Punjab.—
Shivam Patel,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In his order, Judge McConnell admonished the government for deciding earlier in the week to make only partial SNAP payments.—
Jennifer Ludden,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Cursing, Porter admonished the staffer for appearing in the background of the shot.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scolded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scolded. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share