as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
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Recent Examples of dress down
He’s continued to use that language in office, speaking favorably of Putin while publicly dressing down Zelensky.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
Buyers have worn it to weddings, bridal showers, and birthday parties, but it can easily be dressed down with sneakers or sandals for a day at the office.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 13 May 2025
But the American side of that alliance suddenly looked less dependable in March, when President Donald Trump dressed down the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office and accused him of starting the war that began with his own country’s invasion.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 7 May 2025
Leading up to the big night, actors and actresses (well, other than Adam Sandler, who hilariously dressed down this year) work with a dedicated team of stylists, designers and artists to plan their wardrobe and glam down to the last detail.
—Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress down
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
Buyers have worn it to weddings, bridal showers, and birthday parties, but it can easily be dressed down with sneakers or sandals for a day at the office.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 13 May 2025
But the American side of that alliance suddenly looked less dependable in March, when President Donald Trump dressed down the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office and accused him of starting the war that began with his own country’s invasion.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 7 May 2025
Leading up to the big night, actors and actresses (well, other than Adam Sandler, who hilariously dressed down this year) work with a dedicated team of stylists, designers and artists to plan their wardrobe and glam down to the last detail.
—Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress down
Verb
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After the period, the TNT crew scolded Luostarinen for not keeping his stick on the ice.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2025
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The estranged wife of actor Scott Wolf was seemingly detained by law enforcement during an Instagram livestream, during which she can be heard scolding officers and alleging she was abused.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Rather than lecturing, Kahn recommends guiding them to draw their own conclusions.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
20 May 2025
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Trump stated during his big speech on the trip that his administration was not there to lecture the region on how to deal with its affairs.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Verb
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What follows is a series of painful-to-watch confrontations between the two, in which Ace reprimands Amaya for normal human behavior, like expecting the guy who chose her to show some romantic interest, in the low, measured tone of a psychopath.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
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Manford was reprimanded for the incident; a male coworker who had done something similar a month before faced no repercussions, according to court documents.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
Verb
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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
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The next day the family was called down to the station to pick up Skip.—
Janine Rubenstein,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Chicago Tribune If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money.—
Maura Carey,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
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Tax rise hit Domestic tax rises have also been blamed for the steep decline in economic activity.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
Verb
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But to chew out his boss--Edwin Stanton, secretary of war--would be more than just getting close to the line of insubordination.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
12 Feb. 2025
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Judge is chewing out the parties.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Several Make America Great Again (MAGA) figures, such as Laura Loomer, are criticizing Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over his ties to the suspect in Saturday's deadly shooting.—
Mandy Taheri
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
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Those voices have long criticized Netanyahu, especially as the death toll in Gaza has soared beyond 50,000 people, including thousands of children.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dress down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20down. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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