as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to berate someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reprimand
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of berating
Jay Feldstein, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Current and former division attorneys interviewed by ProPublica and The Chronicle said the lawyers had misgivings about the administration’s tactics and were reluctant to work with Terrell, who already had a reputation for berating staffers.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2025
Devon Hogan Flanagan, a special assistant attorney general in Rhode Island, who was caught on video berating police officers trying to remove her from a restaurant after she was asked to leave, has been placed on unpaid leave for six months.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2025
Ellis also accused the rapper of berating and body-shaming her and spitting on her.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The sheriff should be berating the mayor and commissioners, who decide how to spend city money.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
After the report, an aide to Marte, Steven Wong, sent the journalist voice messages berating her with misogynistic slurs.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
After berating Beijing for its restrictions, Washington is putting up the same barriers.
—Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2025
Don’t compound your child’s guilt and discomfort by berating them for their scratching.
—Andy Collinson, Health, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
The coach focused on helping his team settle and regain their confidence rather than berating them for falling behind.
—Jay Feldstein, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Current and former division attorneys interviewed by ProPublica and The Chronicle said the lawyers had misgivings about the administration’s tactics and were reluctant to work with Terrell, who already had a reputation for berating staffers.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2025
Devon Hogan Flanagan, a special assistant attorney general in Rhode Island, who was caught on video berating police officers trying to remove her from a restaurant after she was asked to leave, has been placed on unpaid leave for six months.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2025
Ellis also accused the rapper of berating and body-shaming her and spitting on her.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The sheriff should be berating the mayor and commissioners, who decide how to spend city money.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
After the report, an aide to Marte, Steven Wong, sent the journalist voice messages berating her with misogynistic slurs.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
After berating Beijing for its restrictions, Washington is putting up the same barriers.
—Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2025
Don’t compound your child’s guilt and discomfort by berating them for their scratching.
—Andy Collinson, Health, 19 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berating
Verb
-
Shipp is tasked with scolding her father and delivering leaden exposition.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bloise is barred from visiting school sites for a period of 90 days, a component of his formal reprimand not previously shared with the public.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Griffin’s warning represents a rare reprimand from a CEO at a time when many business leaders have tried to steer clear of publicly criticizing the president and others have gone out of their way to curry favor.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is the last organization that should be lecturing anyone about respecting the game.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
-
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
Noun
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His comments later produced a rebuke from Councilmember Jim O’Hara, who said such comments were not helpful.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The show has reaped major rating success in recent weeks and sparked sharp rebukes from the White House and other conservatives.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But despite the excessive lashings of déjà vu, these are storytelling clichés that work.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Trump’s former national security adviser then resumed criticizing his foreign policy on Ukraine.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
After a particularly bad at-bat in the seventh inning of Thursday's game, manager John Schneider didn't shy away from criticizing the franchise player and sounding the alarm on the offense as a whole.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In the appeal to you, gentle readers, to email us with your thoughts, questions, reproofs, corrections, jokes, recipes, etc.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
9 May 2025
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Advertisement China’s Foreign Ministry also issued a vehement reproof.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The pattern of blaming star players, whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Marcus Rashford, is looking foolish, and the side has plummeted in form.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Wenger was supposed to go on trial with Amiri, but just two days in, his lawyer, Nicole Lopes, insisted on a mistrial blaming her law firm and struggles with mental health.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Berating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berating. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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