as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
got bawled out by the boss for missing another important deadline
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawled out
Verb
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The former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian once scolded Americans for failing to realize that his people are prideful and vain, and that negotiations meant to humiliate and insult them won’t get far.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026 -
But the stunt goes south as Wooley turns out to be an unabashed bigot who embarrasses the show and gets scolded by the host.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 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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As a result, the officer was reprimanded for violating police department policy, including loss of take-home squad privileges and suspension from off-duty employment.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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If this is for a work assignment, the consequence could be getting reprimanded for either taking too long or producing work of sub-par quality.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Being chewed out was nothing new, part of life as a football player.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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
Verb
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Some murder cases in Mecklenburg have taken more than five years to get to trial, something the district attorney has blamed on low staffing and not enough state funding.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
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The humble org chart isn’t usually blamed for holding back innovation.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bawled out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawled%20out. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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