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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in invective
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-lashing
Noun
-
The actor also has been involved in occurrences of being verbal and physically aggressive, hurling racists invectives, as well as being out and out violent on a number of occasions.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
22 July 2025 -
Despite the invective and hyperbole the Guild continues to inject into the process, which have included gratuitous and nasty personal attacks, the Daily News stands ready to sit down as often as necessary and as long as necessary.—
The Daily News,
New York Daily News,
16 July 2025
Verb
-
Faculty across the state rebuked it as an infringement on academic freedom and warned of a mass chilling effect on free speech and lecturing on divisive topics.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Leaders listen instead of lecturing.—
W. Jeff Williams,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Jeff Tillotson, a lawyer for Teleport, blamed the missing lashing on a contractor, who is not a party to the lawsuit.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The way that today’s politics works, that should have earned me a lashing on social media.—
Joanna Allhands,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
When Jeremiah wakes up the next morning, his tirade really starts to heat up.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The Russian launched a tirade at the chair umpire after a photographer stepped onto the court surface before repeatedly hitting his racket against his bench at the match’s conclusion.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
He was temporarily banned from attending department meetings, and a letter of reprimand was added to his file.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
This does actually include a free pass to go potty in any location of their choosing at any time without consequence or reprimand.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The ruling landed as a symbolic rebuke of Musk’s sway over Tesla, and a warning about the excesses of Silicon Valley’s cult-of-founder ethos.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Both China and North Korea have remained steadfast supporters of Putin during his war in Ukraine and amid rebuke from the West.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As aid groups say famine has already taken hold, the assault risks the lives of remaining hostages—captured by Hamas in its October 2023 attack—while Netanyahu faces mounting political turmoil at home, even as Washington continues to hold Hamas responsible for prolonging the conflict.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Even when put under lighter sanctions in 2018, during the Salisbury chemical attack, claims of election interference, and criminal cyber operations continued.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Tongue-lashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-lashing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share