as in to blame
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of pillory
The acerbic toon has aired more than 330 episodes and pilloried scores of subjects and celebrities since its 1997 launch.
—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
But those who voted for a non-binding pro-ICE resolution have been pilloried for it.
—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
The prince was himself pilloried for wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party 20 years ago and also acknowledged this.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
On social media, he was getting pilloried by Fuentes’s legions of fans, many of them alienated young conservatives who call themselves Groypers, in honor of an obese version of the Pepe the Frog meme.
—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pillory
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
But those who voted for a non-binding pro-ICE resolution have been pilloried for it.
—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
The prince was himself pilloried for wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party 20 years ago and also acknowledged this.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
On social media, he was getting pilloried by Fuentes’s legions of fans, many of them alienated young conservatives who call themselves Groypers, in honor of an obese version of the Pepe the Frog meme.
—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pillory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillory
Verb
-
Before the earthquakes, the government generally defended its national health system as robust, blaming shortcomings on sanctions imposed by the United States.
-
This ruling compels companies to confront systemic biases embedded in their hiring data, rather than solely blaming technology.
Verb
-
The program posed a massive political problem for Mamdani, who’s been criticized by both his allies and opponents for his stance.
-
While state studies have criticized the state’s education governance model, voters have rejected at least four attempts dating back to 1928 to reform the position.
Verb
-
Soon though, Shawna noticed some of Zaayer's strange behaviors — including scolding her grandson, getting upset over cleaning habits and allegedly showing them racist videos.
-
Justice Barrett actually sounded kind of sharp, almost scolding, in the opinion in her criticism of the assertions made by the plaintiffs and some of the justices in the minority.
Verb
-
Eight of the primary winners who condemned the Gaza conflict were backed by American Priorities, a new pro-Palestinian super PAC supporting candidates who have been critical of Israel’s military actions.
-
Lot is often described in the Qurʾān, and in subsequent interpretive traditions, in the role of condemning the men of Sodom for lusting after men rather than women.
Verb
-
Activists and faith leaders denounced the conditions at the office during a press conference the previous day, calling on officials to visit the facility and said there had been bad conditions at the facility for weeks.
-
Prosecutors call Hearn’s actions a deliberate, violent act causing more than $1,000 in damage, and his attorneys denounce the case as an alarming misuse of government power.
Cite this Entry
“Pillory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillory. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
