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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scold
USA Today, 21 May 2025
Reese immediately popped up off the court to scold Clark as Clark walked away.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2022
Bozell, who plays a media scold on television, has written a book that despite its subtitle is neither dogmatic nor even thematic.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 6 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for scold
Verb
And they didn’t get scolded or pushed off or told to get off.
—USA Today, 21 May 2025
Reese immediately popped up off the court to scold Clark as Clark walked away.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Noun
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
Bozell, who plays a media scold on television, has written a book that despite its subtitle is neither dogmatic nor even thematic.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 6 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for scold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scold
Verb
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What follows is a series of painful-to-watch confrontations between the two, in which Ace reprimands Amaya for normal human behavior, like expecting the guy who chose her to show some romantic interest, in the low, measured tone of a psychopath.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
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Manford was reprimanded for the incident; a male coworker who had done something similar a month before faced no repercussions, according to court documents.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Rather than lecturing, Kahn recommends guiding them to draw their own conclusions.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
20 May 2025
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Trump stated during his big speech on the trip that his administration was not there to lecture the region on how to deal with its affairs.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Nochlin, who died in 2017, was a pioneering feminist art critic.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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The play marked Clooney’s Broadway debut and was highly praised by critics.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
8 June 2025
Verb
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At the same time, Lively was freshly criticized for her reaction to an interviewer in a resurfaced 2016 clip.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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The document was quickly criticized for errors and citing studies that don’t exist, as first reported by NOTUS, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Judge Arun Subramanian slammed Combs shortly after the jury was excused for a lunch break on Thursday, June 5, admonishing him for attempting to influence jurors.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
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At a Vanity Fair party, Diddy admonished Nash because Cassie’s hair was not in keeping with his dictum.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Chicago Tribune If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money.—
Maura Carey,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
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Tax rise hit Domestic tax rises have also been blamed for the steep decline in economic activity.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
Verb
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But Trump, who nominated Powell to head of the nation's central bank in 2018, has publicly berated the Fed's decision-making.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
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Some might find the introduction of a major conflict — when a different date turns nightmarish for Sophie, causing Lucy to question her certainties about what makes a good match and berate herself for failing to spot red flags — to be a heavy-handed nudge toward a resolution.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Verb
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In the latest example of how judicial systems around the world are grappling with how to handle the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in court, Sharp and fellow judge Jeremy Johnson chastised lawyers in two recent cases in a ruling on Friday.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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In 2017, after two American students said they were raped by police officers on their way home from a Florence nightclub, then-Mayor Dario Nardella chose to respond by chastising the student population.—
John Last,
Christian Science Monitor,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scold. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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