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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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
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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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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
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Several told the Herald they were reprimanded for speaking to the media to promote the cultural events being hosted by the center.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
6 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
Cite this Entry
“Upbraided.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upbraided. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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