1
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the mayor had hardly been in office for a month before she was being excoriated for problems of very long standing
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Recent Examples of excoriate
In panel discussions, roundtables, and closed-door meetings, analysts exalted the virtues of the United States as an investment destination and excoriated Europe as overregulated, uncompetitive, and incapable of innovating.
—
Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2025
Meta had paid twenty-five million dollars to settle a lawsuit with Trump for suspending him from Facebook and Instagram in the aftermath of January 6th; Comcast was trying to spin off MSNBC, which Trump routinely excoriates.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Other Democrats excoriated the administration for its suspension of the refugee admissions program, particularly while allowing white Afrikaners from South Africa to enter the country.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
But most of Tuesday’s debate came from House Democrats, who excoriated the legislation as an attack on democracy and women in Missouri.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2025
Meta had paid twenty-five million dollars to settle a lawsuit with Trump for suspending him from Facebook and Instagram in the aftermath of January 6th; Comcast was trying to spin off MSNBC, which Trump routinely excoriates.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Other Democrats excoriated the administration for its suspension of the refugee admissions program, particularly while allowing white Afrikaners from South Africa to enter the country.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
But most of Tuesday’s debate came from House Democrats, who excoriated the legislation as an attack on democracy and women in Missouri.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
Verb
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After the quake evacuation, the inmates were still outside of the cells when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire and fled, said Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan.—
Brittany Williams,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
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Her dad drove to Boulder to attack the protest three days later, according to investigators.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump initially tapped to co-lead DOGE, pushed for an expansion of the program as way to attract global talent, irritating immigration hawks in the conservative movement.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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Plus, it’s made without parabens, phthalates, and sulfates, which may irritate some skin types.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
3 June 2025
Verb
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At another meeting in May 2024, Grippo scolded female employees for not working hard enough, although the team was high-performing and employees worked long hours, the lawsuit said.—
Suhauna Hussain,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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In January at the annual World Economic Forum, President Donald Trump scolded Brian Moynihan, the CEO of Bank of America.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
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The document was quickly criticized for errors and citing studies that don’t exist, as first reported by NOTUS, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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At the same time, Lively was freshly criticized for her reaction to an interviewer in a resurfaced 2016 clip.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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But, in the end, Berg’s life became proof of a darker truth, one that is newly relevant in the Trump era: doors that swing open can also slam shut.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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Footage showed the missile carried six warheads which slammed into different targets close to one another in Dnipro.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Three players told the Washington Post that Spirit coach Richie Burke had repeatedly screamed at them, insulted them and threatened to bench them, during games and at practice.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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The title comes up over a blue sky in orange font and goes on to insult the Celtics as much as possible.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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