as in invective
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as in scolding
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-lashing
Noun
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The online pile-on, often expressed through personal invective.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2026 -
After two months, her streams of heart and kiss emojis gave way to rivers of invective.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The princess hilariously put her little brother in his place by scolding him.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
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On March 12, the judge sought to change the journalists’ seating arrangement in court after scolding them for asking İmamoğlu questions during a hearing.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Despite the critical lashing, the audience score has been propped up by faithful fans and is sitting at 96%.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
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If plants look deflated or heavily wilted after a wind lashing, this is a sign of water loss.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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College professors spend less time lecturing than a typical sportswriter creating fake controversies to criticize.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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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.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Noun
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And baseball has just tirades and just screaming at each other in the middle.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
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Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where NASCAR mom Natalie Decker revs engines again for the first time since her Hall of Fame radio tirade last month.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Earlier this week, Scott Agness claimed his press credentials were revoked by the team after his reporting led to the WNBA reprimanding the Fever for not being transparent about Clark’s health status during a game on May 20.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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If something’s not done as far as reprimanding, what will that do to him as a student?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Oct. 2024
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The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Rollins leaked non-public Department of Justice information to the media that was damaging to Arroyo’s opponent DA Kevin Hayden, and was later issued a public reprimand by the state Board of Bar Overseers for the ethics breach cited in the reports.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
13 June 2026
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The judiciary's system for policing misconduct includes punishment such as informal warnings and public reprimands.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
9 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tongue-lashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-lashing. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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