as in scolding
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of talking-to
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 Jan. 2025
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
Noun
Never underestimate the combined powers of a Liv Benson talking-to and a New York slice.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 Jan. 2025
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
-
Graphic photos aside, and with the Menendez brothers attending virtually, Friday’s court hearing already saw the DA at the end of a judicial scolding.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2025
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The meeting had been overshadowed by the extraordinary scolding.—
Brian Melley and Emma Burrows,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Central Florida Stamp Club: Meetings include auctions and informative lectures.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2025
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The student-teacher bond is remembered long after the lecture has faded from memory.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
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The lessons doctors are learning on KJ will hopefully be used to help many other children.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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This is likely to prove most useful in lessons and lectures where users will be able to comfortably view the whiteboard whilst simultaneously toggling through different elements such as documents and notes.—
Gus Alexiou,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Similar to linebacker, the Bears’ moves up front this offseason make addressing safety a possibility in the draft.—
Kevin Fishbain,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Toxic positivity often prevents teams from fully addressing difficult problems.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Nine goals, a 30-minute hat-trick, an unlikely comeback, a last-gasp winner, comedic errors and a dressing-down on the pitch at full-time, all played out in teeming rain in Lisbon, made this a night to remember.—
Tim Spiers,
The Athletic,
21 Jan. 2025
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So, while O’Neil will be in constant dialogue with Mosquera about ensuring his actions do not cross a line and disadvantage his team, there are no plans for a dressing-down over Saturday nor moves to curb his fiery streak too much.—
Steve Madeley,
The Athletic,
20 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Though itself a form of punishment, the breathalyzers were also pitched as a compromise to prevent people from losing their driving privileges entirely—something that can be devastating in a country where driving is often essential for work and daily life.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
15 May 2025
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On the same day she was sworn into office, Pirro unveiled on Wednesday evening the punishment for two men who carried out a broad-daylight drive-by shooting near a D.C. elementary school.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Swipe on a Brown Mascara Curled lashes and a few coats of mascara should never be underestimated in a beauty look.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
15 May 2025
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But according to our readers (and most of TikTok, basically), so is the wand and the formula, even for sparse lashes.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Arnold Toynbee reminds us of the stakes with his admonition from many years ago that civilizations die by suicide, not by murder.—
Paul Laudicina,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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There is wisdom in that admonition; the rise and fall of great powers often begins with flawed self-diagnosis.—
Kurt M. Campbell,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Talking-to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking-to. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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