1
as in attacking
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 excoriating
The movie’s second half travels to the Gaza border for a series of excoriating, excruciating monologues with the literal fog of war as background.
—
Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Mar. 2026
The famous detective novelist and screenwriter had written an essay for the magazine excoriating the motion-picture industry and its tolerance for—indeed celebration of—mindless mediocrity.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
The president often has chosen a combative approach, even excoriating Democrats during the bipartisan prayer breakfast this year, Upton noted.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya raised these points when excoriating siblings studies on social media in September.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 16 Jan. 2026
The beat resumed, the volume its usual excoriating self, Shields’ guitar reprogrammed to give a hint of body-moving swing.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
Prescott’s excoriating memo was the catalyst for the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025
The Lynx lost that game, and then, with Collier in a boot on the bench and her coach suspended for excoriating the referees in her defense, came up short in the decisive Game Four, too.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
There’s no question Newsom — who had spent months excoriating refiners for gouging consumers on gasoline prices, even calling a special legislative session to impose new regulations — changed his tune after two refineries announced plans to shut down.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Mar. 2026
The famous detective novelist and screenwriter had written an essay for the magazine excoriating the motion-picture industry and its tolerance for—indeed celebration of—mindless mediocrity.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
The president often has chosen a combative approach, even excoriating Democrats during the bipartisan prayer breakfast this year, Upton noted.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya raised these points when excoriating siblings studies on social media in September.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 16 Jan. 2026
The beat resumed, the volume its usual excoriating self, Shields’ guitar reprogrammed to give a hint of body-moving swing.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
Prescott’s excoriating memo was the catalyst for the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025
The Lynx lost that game, and then, with Collier in a boot on the bench and her coach suspended for excoriating the referees in her defense, came up short in the decisive Game Four, too.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
There’s no question Newsom — who had spent months excoriating refiners for gouging consumers on gasoline prices, even calling a special legislative session to impose new regulations — changed his tune after two refineries announced plans to shut down.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriating
Verb
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The adjective ‘brave’ should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Trump reacted by attacking Springsteen over his physical appearance and urging his MAGA fanbase to boycott the tour.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That said, while the price point is hard to beat, BHAs are higher in molecular weight, which can be irritating for those with especially sensitive skin.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
29 Mar. 2026
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The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The wing struck the roof of a home before slamming into an exterior wall of a second home next door.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Use gentle solutions like dish soap, baking soda, or vinegar to clean without scratching surfaces or leaving streaks.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026
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The quest to find out why some Braves were celebrating hits by scratching their heads proved more arduous than expected.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Angry Mama Microwave Steam Cleaner is thoughtfully designed to effortlessly remove stubborn messes without scrubbing or scraping for hours on end.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
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Tore it apart before scraping it and sure enough, tucked into a corner, covered with lint, was an old gold ring.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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It is filled with articles criticizing America’s involvement in overseas wars.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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This includes Baldoni requesting his public relations representatives to amplify a video criticizing Lively as insensitive to domestic violence survivors.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excoriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriating. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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