as in humiliating
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
shamed the family name with his conviction for embezzlement
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Recent Examples of shaming
In a candid conversation with actress Jameela Jamil, Lewinsky opened up about trauma, public shaming and surviving one of the most infamous scandals in modern American history.
—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Cabot experienced firsthand the extremity of public shaming that women have long experienced when in the negative spotlight of the media, one their male counterparts often seem to avoid.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Content promoting extreme beauty standards, unhealthy dieting, or body shaming also falls under these limits.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2026
Money-minded Venus is squaring curative Chiron, pushing you to match your spending habits with your values (without shaming yourself or others).
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shaming
Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Cabot experienced firsthand the extremity of public shaming that women have long experienced when in the negative spotlight of the media, one their male counterparts often seem to avoid.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Content promoting extreme beauty standards, unhealthy dieting, or body shaming also falls under these limits.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2026
Money-minded Venus is squaring curative Chiron, pushing you to match your spending habits with your values (without shaming yourself or others).
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shaming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaming
Verb
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First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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At one point at the table, Jane ran a fork down the side of Robert's face, leaving red lines, humiliating him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Supporters of Pahlavi were particularly vocal in Mashhad this month, as attested by the prevalence of pro-monarchy graffiti on city walls, and the regime’s propaganda devoted particular attention to discrediting the former crown prince.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
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Elordi and Giannulli appeared to be going strong over the next two years, with sources discrediting breakup speculation to PEOPLE in January 2024 and as the two vacationed together in Italy the following September.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fairchild played the free-wheeling bon vivant Nora Tyler Bing on five episodes of the sitcom classic, unwittingly embarrassing Perry's Chandler Bing to the delight of his pals.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaming. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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