as in to blame
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pillory
The big picture: That's the playbook that Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and the Fed used when President-elect Trump was last president and regularly pilloried the central bank for pushing interest rates too high.
—
Neil Irwin, Axios, 5 Dec. 2024
Now, 31 years later, the pendulum has shifted back the other way, where artists are pilloried for making work that doesn’t broadcast their identities loud enough.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Trump, who pilloried several parts of Harris’ record, was referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency in charge of detaining and deporting immigrants who are illegally in the United States.
—Amy Sherman, Austin American-Statesman, 31 July 2024
Speakers also pilloried Zhao for failing to adequately support the People’s Liberation Army, even though military affairs had been under Deng’s control.
—Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2019
See all Example Sentences for pillory 
Neil Irwin, Axios, 5 Dec. 2024
Now, 31 years later, the pendulum has shifted back the other way, where artists are pilloried for making work that doesn’t broadcast their identities loud enough.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Trump, who pilloried several parts of Harris’ record, was referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency in charge of detaining and deporting immigrants who are illegally in the United States.
—Amy Sherman, Austin American-Statesman, 31 July 2024
Speakers also pilloried Zhao for failing to adequately support the People’s Liberation Army, even though military affairs had been under Deng’s control.
—Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2019
See all Example Sentences for pillory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillory
Verb
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President Trump questions if DEI policies are to blame In the immediate aftermath of the crash, President Trump said he had been briefed on the incident and offered his condolences.—
Ayana Archie,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2025
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But his remarks quickly became a diatribe against diversity hiring and his allegation — so far without evidence — that lowered standards were to blame for the crash.—
Adriana Gomez Licon,
Twin Cities,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Legislative Democrats continue to criticize Lee's proposal for its lack of accountability measures, among other aspects.—
Vivian Jones,
The Tennessean,
3 Feb. 2025
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Trump used the signing ceremony as an opportunity to criticize Canada, with continuing negotiations between him and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau amid threats of 25% tariffs from both sides.—
Naomi Lim,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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What leads children to be scolded for poor behavior can snowball into difficulties keeping a job, maintaining healthy relationships, and even staying out of prison.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2025
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And despite being scolded by school administrators for it and having to file a lawsuit, more and more students began to show up each week wearing the shirts, as the school had to alter its dress code and start placing students in detention for wearing them.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The high point for those movements had come in 1896, when an orator named William Jennings Bryan gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention condemning the gold standard for setting the value of the currency.—
Ron Elving,
NPR,
1 Feb. 2025
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In a joint statement, both lawmakers condemned the event and called on the university to intervene.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pillory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillory. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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