as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
I was called down by my supervisor for not catching the accounting error sooner
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Recent Examples of call down
Still, the idea that someone not in the league can get called down from the stands to play in a game on a moment’s notice is one of hockey’s most unique traditions.
—
Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 15 July 2025
Miles, the Manual student, noted how when she and her fellow bus riders were called down to the office to receive information on the return of transportation, almost all of them were Black.
—Grace Fridy, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Upper apartments, though, were built without kitchens, since their owners might as well call down for room service.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 19 May 2025
Around that same time, Schuyler was called down to Albany to help negotiate a treaty with a group of Native Americans, leaving Brigadier General Richard Montgomery in charge of his forces.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
But the game changer, a change in field practices that drove use of force on crisis calls down by 68% over a four-year period, was a different type of training — a mandatory one that Anderson helped craft.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
The next day the family was called down to the station to pick up Skip.
—Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Battling In The Skies The interceptors stand between Ukrainian forces and Russian drones, including reconnaissance drones which call down artillery and rocket fire and attack drones.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Battling In The Skies The interceptors stand between Ukrainian forces and Russian drones, including reconnaissance drones which call down artillery and rocket fire and attack drones.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 15 July 2025
Miles, the Manual student, noted how when she and her fellow bus riders were called down to the office to receive information on the return of transportation, almost all of them were Black.
—Grace Fridy, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Upper apartments, though, were built without kitchens, since their owners might as well call down for room service.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 19 May 2025
Around that same time, Schuyler was called down to Albany to help negotiate a treaty with a group of Native Americans, leaving Brigadier General Richard Montgomery in charge of his forces.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
But the game changer, a change in field practices that drove use of force on crisis calls down by 68% over a four-year period, was a different type of training — a mandatory one that Anderson helped craft.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
The next day the family was called down to the station to pick up Skip.
—Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Battling In The Skies The interceptors stand between Ukrainian forces and Russian drones, including reconnaissance drones which call down artillery and rocket fire and attack drones.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Battling In The Skies The interceptors stand between Ukrainian forces and Russian drones, including reconnaissance drones which call down artillery and rocket fire and attack drones.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call down
Verb
-
Whether this comes off as a joke or as an invitation for scolding (spoken or unspoken, loving or otherwise) depends entirely on the other Muslims in the room.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
-
But there was a time Emily Deschanel, who played the meticulous forensic anthropologist through 12 seasons of Bones, got scolded for being just that — and the memory still makes the star emotional.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
The type of boy to break up fights at school and lecture his fellow classmates, Steeno added.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 July 2025
-
The designer published his autobiography, continued to lecture about fashion.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Officer Juan Gonzalez, a 12-year Miami Gardens police veteran, described being reprimanded for speaking to other Hispanic officers at a crime scene.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
16 July 2025
-
Ruben is sailing across the Atlantic with them (which Duncan rightfully reprimands him for later – like really, who brings a small child across the ocean in a sailboat?).—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
Since assuming office, Carr has frequently argued that the FCC has a stake in ensuring that local stations maintain community trust, and also that the national networks are to blame for a decline in trust.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
30 July 2025
-
Trump has blamed India's high tariffs on imports for the trade deficit.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
Rather than opt for a two-year extension of the current lease, which has been criticized by some residents since it was signed in 1997, the Bengals and the county agreed on a new 11-year lease.—
Erin Glynn,
The Enquirer,
2 Aug. 2025
-
The news comes as Timberlake finishes his two-year Forget Tomorrow World Tour, during which his recent performances had been criticized for being less lively than usual.—
Amber Brenza,
Health,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Workwear styling aside, the pants can be easily dressed down with a T-shirt and sneakers for casual outings.—
Emily Weaver,
People.com,
10 July 2025
-
Use the sleek stepper as a way to dress up a Pilates uniform or dress down bohemian dresses, showing your sporty side and tapping into some juxtaposition this season.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Call down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20down. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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