as in scolds
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 upbraids
There’s a moment when a former general upbraids a footman for not wearing gloves to serve food.
—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
Mother Mary shivers in the middle of the barn with her head slung low while Sam upbraids the pop star for leaving her behind for other, whiter designers when her career went supernova.
—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
14 Apr. 2026
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
Mother Mary shivers in the middle of the barn with her head slung low while Sam upbraids the pop star for leaving her behind for other, whiter designers when her career went supernova.
—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upbraids
Verb
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Someone else scolds the offender.
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Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, Cundieff makes quick work of lambasting the casual misogyny and homophobia ingrained in hardcore rap, but also of the media scolds unable to parse the message of the music.
Verb
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His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.
Verb
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Today’s successful downtowns rely on a mix of ingredients, said Steven Falk, the former city manager of Lafayette, who’s served as an interim city executive in Oakland and Richmond and who lectures at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.
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Bad teams are given mechanisms to recover, not lectures about bootstraps.
Verb
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The couple has been targeted by a group called Boycott Divest Zabludowicz, which criticizes them for supporting a pro-Israel lobby.
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That letter, referenced in the Brandeis Center complaint, criticizes the APA for failing to discipline a former division president, Lara Sheehi, for various incendiary comments about Zionism.
Cite this Entry
“Upbraids.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upbraids. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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