as in reprimanded
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 scolded
As the Sentinel’s Cristobal Reyes has reported, federal judges based in Orlando have scolded prosecutors multiple times in recent weeks for detaining people who should have been set free, with one judge memorably comparing the current actions of ICE to those of a third-world country.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
No fan should be told how to follow their team, nor be scolded for feeling conflicted, especially as Spurs supporters have been put in this unenviable bind by the failings of their club — rather than the other way around.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
During the trip, the priest who was showing them around was scolded.
—Mckinley Franklin, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
The president himself scolded a New York Times reporter for asking about the cost and whether Amazon was seeking to get in his good graces.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Be brave, and resist falling back on English Don’t fear being laughed at or scolded for speaking imperfectly, said Massimo Macchiavello, the marketing manager for Posta, a destination management company in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, when speaking to reporters at the White House, Vice President JD Vance scolded the media for not mentioning that the same ICE officer who shot Good was previously seriously injured during the car-dragging incident.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
And Curry has been scolded by his mom plenty of times, too.
—Janie McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.
—David Wilson, Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
No fan should be told how to follow their team, nor be scolded for feeling conflicted, especially as Spurs supporters have been put in this unenviable bind by the failings of their club — rather than the other way around.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
During the trip, the priest who was showing them around was scolded.
—Mckinley Franklin, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
The president himself scolded a New York Times reporter for asking about the cost and whether Amazon was seeking to get in his good graces.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Be brave, and resist falling back on English Don’t fear being laughed at or scolded for speaking imperfectly, said Massimo Macchiavello, the marketing manager for Posta, a destination management company in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, when speaking to reporters at the White House, Vice President JD Vance scolded the media for not mentioning that the same ICE officer who shot Good was previously seriously injured during the car-dragging incident.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
And Curry has been scolded by his mom plenty of times, too.
—Janie McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.
—David Wilson, Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scolded
Verb
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Several told the Herald they were reprimanded for speaking to the media to promote the cultural events being hosted by the center.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
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Following the meeting, Green was reprimanded by a captain for failing to review the video with the officers.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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My alter ago has lectured, pleaded and begged my readers to run for their lives from Doritos, Ding Dongs and Sprite.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Michael Woroniecki lectured about Satan being a very powerful force.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Public health experts also criticized the president for making unfounded claims about highly politicized health issues.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, is one of the most prominent figures in a coaching culture that has long been criticized for prioritizing thinness, disordered eating, and early peak performance over athletes’ well-being.—
Jasmine Wynn,
Time,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, warm temperatures were blamed in part for high crash and injury rates.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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The hospital industry is often blamed for driving up health-care costs, too, but that story leaves out important facts.—
Chris Pope,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday, reports circulated that Cioni, Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law, had been identified as a possible suspect, but Sheriff Nanos quickly shot that down in a note that admonished members of the media who reported him as a person of interest without confirmation.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
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In a series of emails to the Post last week shared with Semafor, Newsom Chief Deputy Director of Communications Tara Gallegos admonished the paper over various details of its articles.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scolded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scolded. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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