as in captious
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1
as in reprimanding
to express public or formal disapproval of
a vote to censure the President for conduct that was unbecoming to his office
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in denouncing
to declare to be morally wrong or evil
our society generally censures the taking of another person's life
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in criticizing
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
critics have striven to outdo each other in censuring that pop novelist's latest work
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of censuring
Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Those choices included censuring and sanctioning me, a military veteran commissioned through CU Boulder, the only Black Regent, and the first Black woman to serve on the board in 43 years.
—Wanda James, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
The House voted against censuring Plaskett in a 209-214-3 vote.
—Connor Greene, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
But, honestly, Meyers added, he wasn’t bothered by the attack, which is the latest in a line of Truth Social posts Trump has made censuring the comic.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 17 Nov. 2025
This could include sanctioning, censuring or suspending a judge, or recommending a judge be removed from office.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025
In 2023, the House, then run by Republicans, took the extraordinary step of censuring Schiff.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The inscriptions also reference El, a deity associated with the Abrahamic God, while censuring the ancient pagan goddess Ba`alat.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
Brown, the lone vote against Martinez’s item, said offering trainings to all councilmembers without mandating it for the mayor and not censuring him absolved Martinez of accountability.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Those choices included censuring and sanctioning me, a military veteran commissioned through CU Boulder, the only Black Regent, and the first Black woman to serve on the board in 43 years.
—Wanda James, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
The House voted against censuring Plaskett in a 209-214-3 vote.
—Connor Greene, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
But, honestly, Meyers added, he wasn’t bothered by the attack, which is the latest in a line of Truth Social posts Trump has made censuring the comic.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 17 Nov. 2025
This could include sanctioning, censuring or suspending a judge, or recommending a judge be removed from office.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025
In 2023, the House, then run by Republicans, took the extraordinary step of censuring Schiff.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The inscriptions also reference El, a deity associated with the Abrahamic God, while censuring the ancient pagan goddess Ba`alat.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for censuring
Adjective
-
So much of the new sobriety flex is anathema to the captious alcoholics of 12-step groups.—
Virginia Heffernan,
Wired,
19 Apr. 2022
-
That a right-wing party traditionally captious about American patriotism did not react heatedly to evidence of Russian interference in US elections is bizarre.—
Darryl Pinckney,
The New York Review of Books,
5 Nov. 2020
Verb
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Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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Censures, a means of formally reprimanding a lawmaker without going so far as to expel them, have historically been rare; in the 200 years after Congress first convened, only 22 House members were censured.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Beutner, who entered the contest in October, spent much of his campaign denouncing Bass’ handling of the Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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His candidacy sparked sharp divisions, with supporters portraying him as a symbol of stability and opponents denouncing him as a reminder of authoritarian rule and unresolved war crimes.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In multiple phone calls from jail, Nathan Gingles discussed the dependency court case, asking his friend in Texas to pass along information and criticizing Mary’s sister, who was fighting for custody against Schuler.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Both companies have also gotten more vocal in public in recent weeks, with executives openly criticizing each other's businesses.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Human Artistry Campaign, which counts the likes of SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America among its members, has joined the Motion Picture Association in condemning the AI model released by ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant that owns TikTok.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
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In an internal memo last year, Prasad wrote that the streamlined method would no longer be permitted – leading more than a dozen former FDA commissioners to pen an editorial condemning the statements.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the familiar narrative — blaming teachers, curriculum or school culture — misses deeper structural realities behind the numbers.—
Jill Stegman,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Over time, this builds discernment and institutional memory, and ensures that people take responsibility for their calls, rather than blaming the models.—
Carolyn Dewar,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And while criticism of insurance companies was bipartisan, Republicans and Democrats also blamed one another for the crisis, with the GOP faulting Obamacare and Democrats accusing Republicans of using the hearings to deflect from their own inaction to address rising premiums.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
22 Jan. 2026
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Some Havana Syndrome victims have spent more than a decade trying to draw attention to their cases, often faulting the government for failing to provide enough support or access to specialized medical care.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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After learning the risks and dangers of the Colorado Rockies’ backcountry from a loving but complicated mother, Zach Fisher, a sensitive 12-year-old, joins Bram, his hypercritical father, on a father/son ski trip.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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And while the shoes’ combination of hypercritical foams and carbon fiber is primarily intended for race days, technology tends to trickle down to sneakers for every day, recovery and tempo runs — creating a ripple effect across the marketplace.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
10 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Censuring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/censuring. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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