as in to rail (at or against)
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Recent Examples of tell off
Lombardi had voiced her concerns about the impact of the Blue Angels flying over Seattle in 2023, telling off the squadron in an expletive-laden tirade.
—
Janhvi Bhojwani,
NBC news,
24 July 2025
Season three will include toxic men (pretends to be shocked!), Marciano’s story being questioned (clutching my pearls!), and Taylor telling off her mom (wait, actually, yes, please).
—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
1 July 2025
Rivera’s sharp sense of style, hanging out and making plans, eating sticky rice and ketchup, telling off old boyfriends and listening to music.
—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
Moo's hilarious response to being told off is a textbook example of this temperament.
—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Maybe Simón was a malcontent who told off manager Clayton McCullough.
—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Stephen King made a surprise return to X on Feb. 20 to tell off President Trump and Elon Musk, the latter of which owns the social media platform.
—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2025
Deliverance is a game about being told off for sleeping in other people's beds.
—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
3 Feb. 2025
Janhvi Bhojwani,
NBC news,
24 July 2025
Season three will include toxic men (pretends to be shocked!), Marciano’s story being questioned (clutching my pearls!), and Taylor telling off her mom (wait, actually, yes, please).
—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
1 July 2025
Rivera’s sharp sense of style, hanging out and making plans, eating sticky rice and ketchup, telling off old boyfriends and listening to music.
—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
Moo's hilarious response to being told off is a textbook example of this temperament.
—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Maybe Simón was a malcontent who told off manager Clayton McCullough.
—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Stephen King made a surprise return to X on Feb. 20 to tell off President Trump and Elon Musk, the latter of which owns the social media platform.
—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2025
Deliverance is a game about being told off for sleeping in other people's beds.
—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
3 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tell off
Verb
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Its asymmetrical riff on the classic bucket hat takes the usual cut up a notch.
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The new non-stop flights will cut up to four hours off travel time compared to current one-stop services.
Verb
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As my mother bawled out her lungs, the doctor and the nurses remained speechless, stunned not only by my disproportionate weight but also by my appearance: a Chinese Buddha whose eyes were unmoving, untrusting.
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Trippier and Burn are organisers and not afraid to bawl out their team-mates.
Verb
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It was widely reported that team president Masai Ujiri went into Casey’s office after Game 3 to chew out the coach for not preparing his team better to defend James’ memorable game-winner over OG Anunoby, who is now a Knick.
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True freshman receiver Hayden Moore from has been an early surprise challenger for first-team reps in spring ball, but the Gainesville, Fla., native, who just left high school, was chewed out and then subbed off for messing up early in Tuesday’s practice.
Verb
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With visceral immediacy, O’Farrell channels the terror of arriving in a strange land, ragged and famished, without family, friends, or funds.
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This can occur if the blades are too dull to cut through the grass, resulting in torn or ragged grass standing at uneven heights.
Verb
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Catholic leaders in Florida argue that there are better ways to protect the public from violent crimes and in Spencer’s case, the availability of life without parole is a moral way to punish Spencer without taking his life.
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And now she's been punished for it.
Verb
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This ancient poem isn’t interested in scolding women for their sexuality, but in the establishment of honor in the elite household.
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Davis remembered once being scolded as a teenager by her mother after being caught speaking poorly of a classmate.
Verb
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In a rare show of emotion, the 6-2 Knicks star got up off the ground and jawed at Victor Wembanyama, clearly irate with the San Antonio Spurs’ 7-4 center.
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After the game that featured five technical fouls and thee ejections, players from both teams jawed back and forth near midcourt.
Verb
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All while performatively lecturing and demanding everyone agree with his viewpoints.
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If and until that day comes, there will be fingerpointing, lecturing and posturing, all of which has flowed freely in the wake of the Sorsby decision.
Cite this Entry
“Tell off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tell%20off. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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