as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to keelhaul him—it was an honest mistake, and a small one at that
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Recent Examples of keelhaul
And other than a recession, which generally keelhauls buyback plans, don’t expect companies to ease off their repurchases.
—
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
To hell with a class action suit, these people should have been keelhauled under the Staten Island Ferry for a year.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 25 Oct. 2017
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
To hell with a class action suit, these people should have been keelhauled under the Staten Island Ferry for a year.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 25 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keelhaul
Verb
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Minutes later, Boone was spotted appearing to scold first-base coach Travis Chapman for Chisholm getting thrown out.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
2 Aug. 2025
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But instead of yelling or scolding, Hocker speaks to her daughter gently, and with compassion.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Officer Juan Gonzalez, a 12-year Miami Gardens police veteran, described being reprimanded for speaking to other Hispanic officers at a crime scene.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
16 July 2025
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Ruben is sailing across the Atlantic with them (which Duncan rightfully reprimands him for later – like really, who brings a small child across the ocean in a sailboat?).—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
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The type of boy to break up fights at school and lecture his fellow classmates, Steeno added.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 July 2025
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The designer published his autobiography, continued to lecture about fashion.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Trump has blamed India's high tariffs on imports for the trade deficit.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
30 July 2025
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Garza blamed this in part on the county’s failure to provide legal representation at bail hearings for defendants.—
Skye Seipp,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keelhaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhaul. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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