as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
his wife upbraided him for his irresponsible handling of the family finances
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Recent Examples of upbraided
At a hearing two days after the government dropped its charges against Baraka, the judge upbraided Stephen Demanovich, a federal prosecutor who had been assigned the case.
—
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
During cross-examination, he was upbraided for long answers that did not immediately answer the question he had been asked.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
During cross-examination, he was upbraided for long answers that did not immediately answer the question he had been asked.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upbraided
Verb
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When the second player protested the contact, Nicholson scolded the player, according to one parent.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
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Other times, Rodriguez encouraged her to sleep or scolded the Sacramento mother when stress led to too many cigarettes.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tyson Eckert, the fourteen-year-old, lectured about character, competence, confidence, capability, credibility, competitiveness, and courage.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Joanna Fabicon, who has lectured on contemporary children’s literature at UCLA, added that educators, librarians and publishers must all grapple with the allegations against Chávez and decide how to move forward.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the University of Connecticut is to retain any respect, Coach Auriemma should be publicly reprimanded and suspended without pay.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
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The lawsuit alleges that district officials later accused Cormier of violating confidentiality rules by providing law enforcement with documents and reprimanded her.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Benjamin Rush, a Founding Father and a physician, criticized the medical establishment for being closed-minded about treatments recommended by non-physicians.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Glendon Hall, who leads the Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory Committee, criticized the police at the time.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upbraided.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upbraided. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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