as in to reprimand
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
he scolded the kids for not cleaning up the mess they had made in the kitchen
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Recent Examples of scold
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
Well versed in what the lunar surface truly offers, Britt scolded a number of arty accounts of lunar territory promulgated by both NASA and commercial space ventures.
—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
22 June 2026
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2022
When Roger Goodell suspended Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for at least one full season for betting on NFL games, the commissioner was very careful with the wording of his official scold.
—
Scott Ostler,
San Francisco Chronicle,
9 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for scold
Verb
Davis remembered once being scolded as a teenager by her mother after being caught speaking poorly of a classmate.
—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
Well versed in what the lunar surface truly offers, Britt scolded a number of arty accounts of lunar territory promulgated by both NASA and commercial space ventures.
—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
22 June 2026
Noun
His showdowns with the head of the local diocese, played as a puckish scold by Malcolm McDowell, are some of the best in the film.
—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2022
When Roger Goodell suspended Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for at least one full season for betting on NFL games, the commissioner was very careful with the wording of his official scold.
—
Scott Ostler,
San Francisco Chronicle,
9 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for scold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scold
Verb
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Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.
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Wimbledon fashion is also something that can get patrons in trouble, with Andy Samberg saying he was reprimanded for wearing black jeans in the Royal Box.
Noun
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Your relentless faultfinder—everybody has one—is quick to judge, minimize your accomplishments or demote you to an underdog.
Verb
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Some commentators in the United States have taken the opportunity to lecture Europeans, and perhaps even indulge in a little schadenfreude.
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The work, then, is not to lecture communities into trusting us.
Noun
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The House passed a bipartisan package of children’s online safety bills in a 267-117 vote Monday, advancing legislation that supporters say would better protect children online but critics warn could threaten privacy and free expression.
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Guo Wengui, who fled China a decade ago and reinvented himself as a US -based Communist Party critic, was sentenced in a Manhattan courtroom packed with his supporters by Judge Analisa Torres.
Verb
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The program posed a massive political problem for Mamdani, who’s been criticized by both his allies and opponents for his stance.
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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.
Noun
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Alas, nitpickers can point to some moves in which Atlanta went backward.
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Maybe that’s why, compared with some other kinds of nitpickers, pop critics can seem especially extraneous.
Verb
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Before the earthquakes, the government generally defended its national health system as robust, blaming shortcomings on sanctions imposed by the United States.
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This ruling compels companies to confront systemic biases embedded in their hiring data, rather than solely blaming technology.
Verb
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Regardless, this issue could have resolved if the Giants had issued a statement straight away either defending their players’ First Amendment right to express their views or admonishing them for violating the term of the CBA.
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In the viral video after the shooting, neighbors can be heard angrily admonishing officers for killing the dog.
Cite this Entry
“Scold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scold. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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