as in reprimands
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 scolds
Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Or on Bluesky with the joke scolds, or on Mastodon with the Linux hackers, or on Threads with the voice-forward brands?
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
The crew sets sail to the North Pole and Anderson scolds his crew to be more focused.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 10 Nov. 2025
Governance scolds are appalled by the number, as is the pope.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Woke scolds and anti-woke dolts alike objected to the image of Carpenter kneeling in front of a man who appears to be using her hair as a leash.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Or on Bluesky with the joke scolds, or on Mastodon with the Linux hackers, or on Threads with the voice-forward brands?
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
The crew sets sail to the North Pole and Anderson scolds his crew to be more focused.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 10 Nov. 2025
Governance scolds are appalled by the number, as is the pope.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Woke scolds and anti-woke dolts alike objected to the image of Carpenter kneeling in front of a man who appears to be using her hair as a leash.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scolds
Verb
-
His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.—
Simon Maghakyan,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Whatley outlines public safety priorities, criticizes Cooper Beyond the specific proposal, Whatley said public safety would be a central focus of his Senate campaign and potential term in office.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
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Quintanilla criticizes opponents Johnson and Allred for wealth, stock trades, and immigration votes, positioning himself as a candidate who prioritizes immigrant families, small businesses, drug rehabilitation, senior relief, and local development programs.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Maybe that’s why, compared with some other kinds of nitpickers, pop critics can seem especially extraneous.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The latter is a nonstarter for William, who blames the Army, especially Captain Ezekiel Richardson, for Jane’s death.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
For his plight, Corby blames a female co-worker who was hired three years after him but was regularly given better assignments.—
Eric Magnuson,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That view has its ardent critics.—
Jonathan M. Pitts,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In the last month, Prasad has come under fire from pharmaceutical executives, investors, members of Congress and other critics for multiple decisions at the agency.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Consequently, the conference is imposing a $5,000 fine and admonishes all institutions to use the ‘out’ designation only if there are no circumstances under which a student-athlete could participate in a game.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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The report admonishes the Alameda County foster care system for ongoing structural deficiencies, including understaffing and poor record-keeping, while also noting that the agency’s plan to address service gaps may still not be enough to bring it up to standard.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And Vance berates Democrats in a visit to Minneapolis.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Cast members performed on The Tonight Show and in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, in a sketch in which host Bad Bunny berates his friends for failing to grasp the movie’s brilliance.—
Eliza Berman,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scolds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scolds. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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