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
Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
McMahon likes to remind scolds that wrestling is a morality play.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
Or tie scolds to the ducking stool again.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
McMahon likes to remind scolds that wrestling is a morality play.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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
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
-
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
-
With me, my wife lectures me more than my children.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The audit also criticizes the city for not trying to boost compliance by issuing fines.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
OpenAI memo criticizes Anthropic watch now Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 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
-
The condo association, which took over management of the property in March 2025, blames Riverwalk East Development, LLC.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
Scott blames his late wife’s parents for her death in April 2024.—
Juliet Pennington,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
While supporters credit the movement with restoring stability and defeating the Shining Path, critics associate it with authoritarianism, corruption, and human rights abuses.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 May 2026
-
After arriving in the Air Force’s care in May 2025, the plane was taken apart to ensure there were no listening or tracking devices hidden inside, a major concern of critics who objected to the gifted aircraft on security grounds.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Judge admonishes Musk over social media use Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, one of its largest investors, with proceeds going to OpenAI’s charitable arm.—
Deepa Seetharaman,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Deeply religious, Jean’s mother, in the film, admonishes her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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 10 May. 2026.
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