TALKING (TO) Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

talking-to 1 of 2

noun

Definition of talking-to

as in scolding

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Dissimilar Words

talking (to)

2 of 2

verb

present participle of talk (to)

as in speaking (to or with)

to communicate with by means of spoken words I had never talked to a real live cowboy before

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 talking-to

Noun

This is a really good writer-talking-to-another-writer question. — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026 Roberts pulled the reliever in, gave him what seemed like a fatherly talking-to, and – after Ramirez got out of the inning with the very next pitch – noted that sometimes the best course is not to yell and scream at a player. — Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 30 May 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking-to

Noun

In Pennsylvania, two teenage boys were given a scolding and probation after using some of these same tools to create and distribute CSAM of their classmates.

— Alex Hartman, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026
Following Putin’s scolding of his aides on Wednesday, the central bank chief said Thursday that Russia’s unemployment rate remained at a historic low of 2% as the war created a lack of available workers, forcing employers to compete for staff.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2026

Definition of scolding

Verb

Surrogacy agreements can include provisions addressing what happens if prenatal testing reveals a serious fetal abnormality, but those provisions do not necessarily give intended parents the power to force a surrogate to terminate a pregnancy.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
The Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood Education and Care and the Quad Agency Child Care Initiative were created last year by lawmakers to start addressing the gaps and fractures in the state’s childcare system.

— Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of addressing

Noun

Asking about being alone with a Haitian, for instance, prompted a quick lecture on resisting the forces of prejudice.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
But Wolff says the food patterns children see at home tend to stick, which is why parents modeling nutritious choices can carry more weight than any lecture.

— Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of lecture

Noun

This was the first life lesson Dolly Parton delivered in her earliest appearance on Hannah Montana as the ebullient Aunt Dolly.

— Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
In fact, one lesson of these novels seemed to be that American girls were loveable in much the same way that America’s past was—as an ideal.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of lesson

Noun

And while this dressing-down of beloved works might seem like another bummer in a world of doomscrolling, @heartthrobanderson is anything but.

— Jessica Lipsky, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
This change comes after Grok received a dressing-down from users and international officials for complying with requests to digitally undress women and underage girls or create sexualized deep fakes of them without their consent.

— Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026

Definition of dressing-down

Noun

The defeat was followed by an ugly postgame brawl that ran counter to the positive vibes Argentina generated in 2022 and has since brought significant punishment.

— Asli Pelit, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
According to Norqain, the Wild ONE Skeleton Gecko is designed for precisely that kind of punishment.

— Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of punishment

Noun

That video shows three boys scrubbing the floor and walls of a room in the school with rags as Morrison shouts commands and admonishments.

— Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 24 July 2026
Debbie Wasserman Schultz disregards criticism Longtime Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is staying in the race to represent a historically Black Broward County congressional district — even after a public admonishment from state party Chair Nikki Fried.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026

Definition of admonishment

Noun

In June a popular Iranian singer, Parastoo Ahmadi, together with eight members of her band and production team, were sentenced in Qom to 74 lashes and banned from leaving the country for two years.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Aside from my blush never looking better, her recent collab with Velour lashes has made the application of falsies so easy (even for my shaky hands).

— Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of lash

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talking points

talking-to

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Style

“Talking-to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking-to. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of talking-to

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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