as in scolding
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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
Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
This is a really good writer-talking-to-another-writer question.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
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
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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
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The scolding was met with more meows and barks.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Steve Starner, chief executive officer of Continuous Composites, said the company is focused on addressing manufacturing challenges involving high-performance and high-temperature materials.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
22 June 2026
-
After both letters were sent, Savannah Guthrie made a post on Instagram addressing her mother’s kidnappers.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Noun
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And this is where the second component of the performance-lecture’s effectiveness comes in, specifically for artists who work with technology and the internet as their subject and medium.—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
16 June 2026
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The event will also include a lecture series by local historians and scholars about the arts on display.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Maybe your flight was canceled, your luggage disappeared, you got stranded overseas, missed a cruise departure or learned a hard lesson the hard way.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
-
Days began with morning yoga and consisted of one-on-one therapy sessions, emotionally exhausting group exercises, and experiential lessons like art therapy and roleplaying.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
-
Guéhi avoided punishment, though the FA prohibits players from displaying religious messages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
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The team did not immediately respond to an email asking who the players were, whether the players would speak to Fox News and whether there would be further punishment for the players.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
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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
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In a somewhat direct public admonishment of SpaceX, Sean Duffy, who briefly served as NASA’s acting administrator last year, announced that the space agency would use whichever lander was ready first to complete the landing mission, which is currently slated for as soon as 2028.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Noun
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Instead, opt for the MzooLuxury Sleep Eye Mask, which offers a little more wiggle room for your lashes while creating an instant blackout curtain between you and a sunlit plane cabin or hotel room.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
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Much like her makeup, which featured a stroke of black eyeliner to enhance her eyes and long, black lashes.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Talking-to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking-to. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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