as in talking-to
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Church’s landscapes themselves had pedagogical intent, and the lessons were not just scientific but ethical, spiritual, patriotic.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The importance of the moon phase is just one of many lessons that only emerge after time spent outside, looking up.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Chapman’s lecture was one of several sessions making up the first day of Screen Forever 40, the three-day industry conference marking the 40th edition of the Screen Producers Australia gathering.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Audiences are now challenging the media’s monopoly and the top-down lecture modes of addressing viewers and readers, which in some cases can present ethical challenges.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Smart also confirmed that Georgia’s NIL collective had begun issuing fines to players as punishment.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
