as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the drill sergeant tongue-lashed the recruits with a colorful litany of foulmouthed invectives
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-lashed
Verb
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He is being groomed, playing, testing boundaries and even being scolded which are all part of normal social learning for young macaques.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
17 Feb. 2026 -
As the Sentinel’s Cristobal Reyes has reported, federal judges based in Orlando have scolded prosecutors multiple times in recent weeks for detaining people who should have been set free, with one judge memorably comparing the current actions of ICE to those of a third-world country.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Vance’s speech got a cool reception from European leaders who said they felt lectured.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
18 Feb. 2026
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Some of us have guest lectured in his law school class on the Arkansas Constitution, and his passion for our state's rich heritage is evident.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On WhatsApp, her mother reprimanded her for being too trusting of others—even of relatives.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
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Last year, filmmakers who spoke out for Palestinian life and liberty from the Berlinale stage reported being aggressively reprimanded by senior festival programmers.—
William Earl,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The post, which was later deleted, was blamed on a staffer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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About 100 deaths were blamed on that devastating storm across the entire East Coast.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The treatment of many Minnesota residents by ICE and CBP agents, which resulted in, among other things, the very public killing of Good and Alex Pretti, both US citizens – has been roundly criticized.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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It might also be criticized for saying nothing about whether any or all of that money should be rebated to the countries that paid the money and the companies that experienced price increases for their products as a result of higher tariffs.—
Cal Thomas,
Arkansas Online,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Being chewed out was nothing new, part of life as a football player.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Tongue-lashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-lashed. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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