as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress down
Verb
-
Publicly, Ingoglia has become known for barnstorming the state to hold choreographed press conferences scolding cities and counties for wasteful spending.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026 -
Messi seemed to scold La Familia at one point with a finger wag aimed in their direction, showing his displeasure with their protest.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
One can spend an evening tapping along to a jazz ensemble, then sit in a visual‑arts lecture or wander through an outdoor sculpture walk the next day.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
-
It was also being lectured by people who presented a formulaic perspective on a complicated future that the class of 2026 is already navigating.—
Ann Kirschner,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Yeboah was being reprimanded for an incident in Wednesday’s training session, but the exact circumstances are not yet known.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2026
-
In this production, the Hispanic Romeo can only speak his native tongue at home and is reprimanded by his cousin Benvolio for daring to do so anywhere else.—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
After leaving the field at the end of the third, Fried walked into the tunnel leading to the visitors’ clubhouse, flanked by pitching coach Matt Blake, who immediately called down to the bullpen to have Paul Blackburn warm up.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Even the New York State Police had been called down to join, and were standing around in their purple ties and Dudley Do-Right hats.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pratt did not deny the report and responded on X by blaming city leadership for the wildfire destruction.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
-
Of course, blame Dad for any handicaps.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
True freshman receiver Hayden Moore from has been an early surprise challenger for first-team reps in spring ball, but the Gainesville, Fla., native, who just left high school, was chewed out and then subbed off for messing up early in Tuesday’s practice.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of the standard chewing out, the senior played a clip of his freshman defensive back counterpart recognizing a screen, shedding a block and securing the first solo tackle of his career against No. 5 Georgia last week.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Trump withdrew from Obama's Iran deal and has repeatedly criticized it since.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
-
He was criticized the next night for shooting 12-for-32 in a 96-91 loss, but the Chicago Bulls still won the series.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
As my mother bawled out her lungs, the doctor and the nurses remained speechless, stunned not only by my disproportionate weight but also by my appearance: a Chinese Buddha whose eyes were unmoving, untrusting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Trippier and Burn are organisers and not afraid to bawl out their team-mates.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Dress down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20down. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
