1
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
reprimanded the summer intern for her constant tardiness
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2
as in admonishing
to criticize (someone) usually gently so as to correct a fault
reprimanded the student for using the lax grammar and punctuation of text messaging in a term paper
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in censuring
to express public or formal disapproval of
the president was forced to reprimand the general for publicly voicing his disagreements with the nation's foreign policy
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Recent Examples of reprimanding
Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.
—
Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Censures, a means of formally reprimanding a lawmaker without going so far as to expel them, have historically been rare; in the 200 years after Congress first convened, only 22 House members were censured.
—Connor Greene, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.
—Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
To this end, Cucinelli urged the independent players to tap into the online commerce without betraying their identity of exclusivity and desirability, subtly reprimanding those who embraced the gray market outright.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
Cast members immediately reacted to Caroline’s misgendering, with some reprimanding her, while others covered their faces in embarrassment.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 8 Oct. 2025
Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Censures, a means of formally reprimanding a lawmaker without going so far as to expel them, have historically been rare; in the 200 years after Congress first convened, only 22 House members were censured.
—Connor Greene, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.
—Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
To this end, Cucinelli urged the independent players to tap into the online commerce without betraying their identity of exclusivity and desirability, subtly reprimanding those who embraced the gray market outright.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
Cast members immediately reacted to Caroline’s misgendering, with some reprimanding her, while others covered their faces in embarrassment.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprimanding
Verb
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Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
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Sanders, by now a perennial candidate, perfected his craggy, scolding, mitten-waving style.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Parliament Vice President Nicolae Ștefănuță quickly intervened, admonishing the lawmaker for his language and warning of consequences.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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The outlet reported that the mother of Jamieson’s child spoke out in court, admonishing him for the violent attack on their daughter last January.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Brown, the lone vote against Martinez’s item, said offering trainings to all councilmembers without mandating it for the mayor and not censuring him absolved Martinez of accountability.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Those choices included censuring and sanctioning me, a military veteran commissioned through CU Boulder, the only Black Regent, and the first Black woman to serve on the board in 43 years.—
Wanda James,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sometimes the messages got feisty, with Epstein lecturing Karp over a fee.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Before the world complicated things with espresso machines, oat milk debates, and influencers lecturing to you about grind size, wild coffee trees were clinging to the Ethiopian highlands.—
John Noakes,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In multiple phone calls from jail, Nathan Gingles discussed the dependency court case, asking his friend in Texas to pass along information and criticizing Mary’s sister, who was fighting for custody against Schuler.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Both companies have also gotten more vocal in public in recent weeks, with executives openly criticizing each other's businesses.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Human Artistry Campaign, which counts the likes of SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America among its members, has joined the Motion Picture Association in condemning the AI model released by ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant that owns TikTok.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
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In an internal memo last year, Prasad wrote that the streamlined method would no longer be permitted – leading more than a dozen former FDA commissioners to pen an editorial condemning the statements.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the familiar narrative — blaming teachers, curriculum or school culture — misses deeper structural realities behind the numbers.—
Jill Stegman,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Over time, this builds discernment and institutional memory, and ensures that people take responsibility for their calls, rather than blaming the models.—
Carolyn Dewar,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Beutner, who entered the contest in October, spent much of his campaign denouncing Bass’ handling of the Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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His candidacy sparked sharp divisions, with supporters portraying him as a symbol of stability and opponents denouncing him as a reminder of authoritarian rule and unresolved war crimes.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reprimanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprimanding. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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