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
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Recent Examples of scolded
As the Sentinel’s Cristobal Reyes has reported, federal judges based in Orlando have scolded prosecutors multiple times in recent weeks for detaining people who should have been set free, with one judge memorably comparing the current actions of ICE to those of a third-world country.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
No fan should be told how to follow their team, nor be scolded for feeling conflicted, especially as Spurs supporters have been put in this unenviable bind by the failings of their club — rather than the other way around.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
During the trip, the priest who was showing them around was scolded.
—Mckinley Franklin, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
The president himself scolded a New York Times reporter for asking about the cost and whether Amazon was seeking to get in his good graces.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Be brave, and resist falling back on English Don’t fear being laughed at or scolded for speaking imperfectly, said Massimo Macchiavello, the marketing manager for Posta, a destination management company in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, when speaking to reporters at the White House, Vice President JD Vance scolded the media for not mentioning that the same ICE officer who shot Good was previously seriously injured during the car-dragging incident.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
And Curry has been scolded by his mom plenty of times, too.
—Janie McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.
—David Wilson, Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
No fan should be told how to follow their team, nor be scolded for feeling conflicted, especially as Spurs supporters have been put in this unenviable bind by the failings of their club — rather than the other way around.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
During the trip, the priest who was showing them around was scolded.
—Mckinley Franklin, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
The president himself scolded a New York Times reporter for asking about the cost and whether Amazon was seeking to get in his good graces.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Be brave, and resist falling back on English Don’t fear being laughed at or scolded for speaking imperfectly, said Massimo Macchiavello, the marketing manager for Posta, a destination management company in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, when speaking to reporters at the White House, Vice President JD Vance scolded the media for not mentioning that the same ICE officer who shot Good was previously seriously injured during the car-dragging incident.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
And Curry has been scolded by his mom plenty of times, too.
—Janie McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.
—David Wilson, Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scolded
Verb
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Routh was convicted of five counts in September after a disastrous attempt to represent himself at trial, where he was repeatedly reprimanded by the presiding judge, Aileen Cannon.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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In November, my doctor gently reprimanded me for ignoring my 2024 colonoscopy date.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Michael Woroniecki lectured about Satan being a very powerful force.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 2026
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If someone senses they’re being lectured or criticized, their walls will go up, and the conversation will stall.—
Devon Kuntzman,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Chinese state media criticized the H20 for lacking technological prowess and being environmentally unfriendly, with regulators eventually halting imports over security concerns.—
Joe Toscano,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Liston questioned why Pretti was carrying a handgun — which appeared to be removed from its holster by an officer just before the shooting — and Baisley criticized Minneapolis’ local leadership and immigrants without proper legal status.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When Seattle gave up 38 points in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, Macdonald blamed himself for overloading the defensive game plan.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Democrats think Trump is only engaging because of his sagging poll numbers and his sensitivity to getting blamed for another shutdown.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday, reports circulated that Cioni, Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law, had been identified as a possible suspect, but Sheriff Nanos quickly shot that down in a note that admonished members of the media who reported him as a person of interest without confirmation.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
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In a series of emails to the Post last week shared with Semafor, Newsom Chief Deputy Director of Communications Tara Gallegos admonished the paper over various details of its articles.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scolded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scolded. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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