told off

past tense of tell off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for told off
Verb
  • The boat therefore needed metal or plastic cages installed around the engines, so that the diver wouldn’t get accidentally cut up by their blades — and finding a boat and then the right cages fit onto the boat would take time.
    Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Techniques like this have been around for some time, but Micro-C uses an enzyme that can cut up DNA more finely than before.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • These timeless styles look polished, but can easily be dressed down with a tee and sneakers.
    Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
  • With its refined silhouette, subtle logo detailing, and classic colors—from black to a fall-ready burgundy—the elegant accessory can be dressed down for coffee runs and classed up for date nights.
    Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Being chewed out was nothing new, part of life as a football player.
    Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
    Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Royal Dutch Medical Association scolded the psychiatrists, and prosecutors declined to act.
    Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
  • In 2013, then-President Barack Obama penned a thank-you letter to federal employees for their service and scolded Congress for failing to approve a spending plan, without placing blame.
    NPR, NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On her first-ever boat, she was berated by a misogynistic captain to the point of swearing back at him and walking off.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The resident berated by the mayor of Dearborn expresses concern about free speech rights.
    Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Just six minutes later, Wells gives the ball away and is punished brutally as Rhys Oates curls home a superb effort from just inside the box.
    Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The 49ers not only left that game with a 30-19 defeat, but Williams also left with a noticeably lighter wallet after he was punished on Saturday by the NFL for the physical altercation with Smith.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Cheen also lectured on the music industry across Asia and Australia.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Augusta was a devout Christian who often lectured the Bible to her sons and blamed alcohol and women for the evils of the world, per the outlet.
    Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Told off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/told%20off. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

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