as in scolds
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
I was called down by my supervisor for not catching the accounting error sooner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calls down
Verb
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On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2026 -
While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
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Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.—
Simon Maghakyan,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Around the same time, Oscar de la Renta sent floor-skimming shirt dresses down the runway, while Stephen Burrows gave sequins a sporty edge in wrap-styles blouses and dresses – perfect for transitioning from work to cocktail parties in the era.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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No reasons have been given for the changes of heart, but the Iranian diaspora in Australia blames pressure from Tehran.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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On Tuesday, a drone strike that the M23 blames on Congolese forces killed a French United Nations staffer in the key city of Goma, less than a month after a similar strike killed the rebel group's spokesperson and injured several others.—
OPE ADETAYO,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For example, the Daodejing criticizes the ruling class and its talent-recruitment system for dangling enticing status markers that could never be fully achieved.—
Stephen Chen,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
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The president often criticizes Powell for failing to rapidly cut interest rates.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Calls down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calls%20down. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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