told off

verb

past tense of tell off
as in cut up

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for told off
  1. cut up
  2. dressed down
  3. ragged
  4. chewed out
  5. scolded
  6. upbraided
  7. berated
  8. punished
Verb
  • Sporting Kansas City joined the vanquished Galaxy and Real Salt Lake on Saturday as LAFC cut up the last-place team in the Western Conference, 4-0.
    — Josh Gross, Daily News, 26 July 2026
  • Use leftover cheese scraps, cut up, in pasta salad, melted in macaroni and cheese, or add to snack boxes.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026
Definition of cut up
Verb
  • It can be dressed down with flats or sandals or up with wedges or heels.
    — Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2026
  • At a meeting that month in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, Overton dressed down HHS officials for not presenting a document that would pass legal review, according to a person who attended.
    — Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Definition of dressed down
Verb
  • On that night in March, to the surprise of nobody, Arsenal ran their mid-table Premier League hosts ragged, beating them 5-1, with Henry and Freddie Ljungberg scoring twice, and Kolo Toure netting the other.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Definition of ragged
Verb
  • Being chewed out was nothing new, part of life as a football player.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Definition of chewed out
Verb
  • Kirson remembered, adding that, minutes later, the show’s production team scolded her.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026
  • In February, a California judge reportedly scolded Meta’s own lawyers for wearing the smart glasses in court.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026
Definition of scolded
Verb
  • One upbraided Tufty for this comment.
    — Eric Adler June 4, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
  • At a hearing two days after the government dropped its charges against Baraka, the judge upbraided Stephen Demanovich, a federal prosecutor who had been assigned the case.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Definition of upbraided
Verb
  • Swinehart says in his lawsuit that Smith called him and berated him about not following her recommendation.
    — Matt Moret, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • All the while, Donnie berated her for doubting him and demanded an apology.
    — Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of berated
Verb
  • Gang Seong brings Ri Eung-ryeong back to North Korea, where he is presumably punished for his defection.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 27 July 2026
  • Hamilton was punished for impeding McLaren's Oscar Piastri, a big hit to Hamilton's chances of a record ninth win in Hungary, and Antonelli got his sanction for failing to slow enough for a yellow flag.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
Definition of punished
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

told (of)
told off
told (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Told off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/told%20off. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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