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
Relevance
as in scolding
Related Words
Dissimilar 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
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
Verb
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
-
The scolding came after Combs seemingly nodded at jurors during Bongolan’s testimony about the balcony incident.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
-
Neither his pressure on the Ukrainian leader, who Trump lambasted in the Oval Office, nor his recent scolding of the Kremlin ruler appear to have pushed the two sides any closer to a peace deal.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
In 2019, a national survey of OB-GYN, internal medicine and family practice residency programs revealed that 20% of graduating residents had received no lectures on menopause, and 6.8% felt unprepared to care for menopausal patients.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
20 June 2025
-
Posted on YouTube, the 7-minute video features comedian Martin Herlihy holding a lecture before a group of high school students, with the goal of teaching them how to convince their parents to buy them a Mac for college.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Our challenge is to ensure each generation has the opportunity to engage with our stories, characters and life lessons.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
20 June 2025
-
Smith, whose first store in Nottingham, England, measured exactly three square meters, or 32 square feet, is still learning lessons from the shop floor.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Nothing, perhaps, has grated more than last month’s Oval Office dressing-down of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.—
Ned Temko,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 June 2025
-
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
Noun
-
The most extreme punishment the 24-year-old could receive is a ban spanning four years.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
While many see Juneteenth as an opportunity to celebrate freedom, the truth is that slavery still exists today, in prisons around the country, due to the loophole in the 13th Amendment that permits enslavement as punishment for a crime.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
That violence, too, increases in the latter half of Wax’s drama, as Ferd discovers Izzy’s secret passion and lashes out at her for it.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
-
Silver shimmer was pressed into her lids above wispy lashes, while her lips were lined with a dusty brown and painted in a coral lip shade.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
Although there are few formal guidelines, a consensus has formed around consent when possible, de-identification when not, and adherence to the admonition that the patient’s welfare always comes first.—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
-
The admonition follows a similar warning from three U.S. senators — Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Talking-to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking-to. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share