1
as in admonishing
to criticize (someone) so as to correct a fault
the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college
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2
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches
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3
as in reprimanding
to express public or formal disapproval of
in a rare move, the state's supreme court rebuked the governor for trying to circumvent one of its recent rulings
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Recent Examples of rebuking
Ironically, Bessette-Kennedy’s trend-rebuking dress became the blueprint for brides all over the world.
—
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
An inflation report earlier this week came in lower than economists expected, however, rebuking policymakers' worst fears.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2025
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
An inflation report earlier this week came in lower than economists expected, however, rebuking policymakers' worst fears.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuking
Verb
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However, support wanes for admonishing recently deceased figures, especially among Republicans.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
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When thinking of productivity, admonishing people to work harder won’t cut it.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Shipp is tasked with scolding her father and delivering leaden exposition.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In 2023, the House, then run by Republicans, took the extraordinary step of censuring Schiff.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The inscriptions also reference El, a deity associated with the Abrahamic God, while censuring the ancient pagan goddess Ba`alat.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s former national security adviser then resumed criticizing his foreign policy on Ukraine.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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After a particularly bad at-bat in the seventh inning of Thursday's game, manager John Schneider didn't shy away from criticizing the franchise player and sounding the alarm on the offense as a whole.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is the last organization that should be lecturing anyone about respecting the game.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
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Faculty across the state rebuked it as an infringement on academic freedom and warned of a mass chilling effect on free speech and lecturing on divisive topics.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Republicans were unfazed by Democrats threatening to withhold their votes, accusing them of hypocrisy for condemning GOP efforts to win policy concessions in past funding battles.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
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News and videos of Kirk's assassination swept quickly through the country, with people immediately mourning his death and leaders and prominent figures across the political spectrum condemning the violence.—
Mandy Taheri
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The pattern of blaming star players, whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Marcus Rashford, is looking foolish, and the side has plummeted in form.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Wenger was supposed to go on trial with Amiri, but just two days in, his lawyer, Nicole Lopes, insisted on a mistrial blaming her law firm and struggles with mental health.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hoffman, the lawmaker who was shot and wounded in June, and his family also issued a statement denouncing Kirk’s death.—
Mark Vancleave,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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He was dismissed from the show that March after publicly denouncing series creator Chuck Lorre, and Kutcher was officially named as his replacement in May.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuking. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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