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
Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
This cross-partisan skit is refreshing and the only people who might hate it are Cuomo supporters and maybe some woke scolds.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026
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
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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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When not writing, May frequently lectures on the politics and policies of mass incarceration for university classes, academic conferences, and online events.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
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With me, my wife lectures me more than my children.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Schiavo raised a similar concern, noting that the National Transportation Safety Board regularly criticizes the Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators for not implementing obvious solutions, even after accidents occur.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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Gigerenzer criticizes them as ethically problematic and argues that public policy should emphasize education over subtle choice manipulation.—
Alejandro Hortal-Sánchez,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 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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This has actually been a plot point of The Pitt’s second season, with a cyber-hack forcing the hospital to temporarily bring back hospital clerk Monica, who blames her layoff on the hospital overly digitizing.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Florida Justice Association — the trial lawyer lobby — spent millions to stop the reforms Maxwell now blames for failing consumers.—
David Wilson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The critics said the show was well worth seeing and David was relieved.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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One of the South’s most recognizable postcard settings is facing growing concerns over homelessness, encampments and public safety, with critics warning the issues are spreading beyond Savannah’s storybook streets to other scenic Georgia cities.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 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
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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 20 Apr. 2026.
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