as in talking-to
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as in reprimanding
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scolding
Leslie Garisto Pfaff, Parents, 20 Dec. 2025
Flies did not follow me, but someone’s gaze did, leading to a lengthy scolding from my mother.
—Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026
Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.
—Beandrea July, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scolding
Noun
Avoiding public scolding, vague directions, or emotional reactions can make discipline more effective and respectful.
—Leslie Garisto Pfaff, Parents, 20 Dec. 2025
Flies did not follow me, but someone’s gaze did, leading to a lengthy scolding from my mother.
—Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Verb
But Saxon said Ye kept him constantly on edge, demanding photo updates of construction work, scolding him for wearing blue instead of the all-black worker uniform Ye preferred, and suddenly adding 24/7 security duties to his workload.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026
Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.
—Beandrea July, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scolding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scolding
Noun
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This is a really good writer-talking-to-another-writer question.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Never underestimate the combined powers of a Liv Benson talking-to and a New York slice.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Hart was reprimanding Ross for doing what is the most offensive thing a comedian can do — suck up to the most important person in the room — and enforcing an old ethic in comedy, which is not apologizing for your jokes.—
Robert Lynch,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Indeed, Ye didn’t say much of anything during the two-hour concert beyond a number of reprimanding comments directed at his stage crew.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just a wonderful man that teaches you lessons, teaches you camaraderie, unity, doing things as a unit, that no one’s different.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
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Just a wonderful man that teaches you lessons, teaches you camaraderie, unity, doing things as a unit, no one’s different.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
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At Yale, where Garber began her career, Jacques Derrida was a frequent visitor, and Paul de Man might be found down the corridor solemnly lecturing on Nietzsche.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
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How do teachers carry on teaching, lecturing, checking homework and having students prepare for assessments, and how do students enjoy the pleasures that extracurricular activities bring?—
Jerald McNair,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On 28 August 1947, Gombrowicz gives a lecture.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
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In February 2024, professor Asaf Peer, an Israeli from Bar Ilan University, attempted to give a physics lecture at UNLV.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
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The spike in the number of homicides that Little Rock experienced following the covid-19 pandemic featured heavily in that race, with Landers criticizing Scott’s record on public safety.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Jurors in a Fort Worth courtroom decided on Tanner Horner’s punishment after hearing about a month of testimony and evidence that included audio of Athena Strand’s last moments from inside the delivery van.—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Smart also confirmed that Georgia’s NIL collective had begun issuing fines to players as punishment.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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As the federal health department launches a plan to wean patients off antidepressants, mental health advocates and psychiatrists say blaming the United States' mental health crisis on overmedicalization and overprescription of psychiatric medications is an inaccurate portrayal of a complex problem.—
Rhitu Chatterjee,
NPR,
7 May 2026
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Like Mangione, Tamura left behind a piece of evidence for investigators to find, blaming the NFL and football for causing chronic traumatic encephalopathy.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scolding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scolding. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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