1
as in admonishing
to criticize (someone) usually gently so as to correct a fault
my piano teacher often reproves me for slouching while playing, observing that good posture helps one play better
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reprimanding
to express public or formal disapproval of
the principal reproved the hockey team for their display of poor sportsmanship on the ice and ordered that a letter of apology be sent to the other school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disliking
to hold an unfavorable opinion of
the older generation has always reproved the younger generation's taste in music
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reproving
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 -
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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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
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When conversation veers into controversial territory, Gott suggests redirecting rather than reprimanding.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While the fans are always squabbling, the idea of two teams of professional athletes, not to mention coaches, actually disliking each other has become rarer.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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He is also known for disliking repeats of his shows being played too often – another potential reason why Phoenix Nights remains hard to track down despite its enduring popularity.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Sanders, by now a perennial candidate, perfected his craggy, scolding, mitten-waving style.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
But more recently, groups of citizens have grown tired of scolding and have begun reaching for the birch rod.—
Nick Bowlin,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The House voted against censuring Plaskett in a 209-214-3 vote.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
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But, honestly, Meyers added, he wasn’t bothered by the attack, which is the latest in a line of Truth Social posts Trump has made censuring the comic.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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President Erdoğan mastered this approach—publicly criticizing rate decisions, invoking Islamic prohibitions on interest, signaling displeasure through state media—until governors either complied or departed.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The Justice Department also launched a probe into Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over their public statements criticizing the presence of ICE in the state.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Oscar-winning singer-actress took a break during her Tokyo concert to spend a few minutes condemning ICE following the controversial deaths of two protesters at the hands of the immigration enforcement agents.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
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Local officials in Minneapolis were united in defending Omar and condemning the attacker.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After two votes rejecting a contract in December, the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board is bringing back a controversial custodial company to restore cleaning services to Northwest schools.—
Bri Hatch,
Chalkbeat,
30 Jan. 2026
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However, a magistrate judge who reviewed the evidence last week approved charges against only three individuals, rejecting the evidence against Lemon and the others as insufficient.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Reproving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reproving. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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