as in invective
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Dissimilar Words
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the drill sergeant tongue-lashed the recruits with a colorful litany of foulmouthed invectives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-lashing
Noun
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Some of those pushing anti-Jewish invective on the right are opportunists.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026 -
After years of inflammatory social-media posts and antisemitic invective, Kanye West has taken out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal that traces his erratic behavior to his 2002 car crash.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
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Sanders, by now a perennial candidate, perfected his craggy, scolding, mitten-waving style.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To better break through modern wilderness frontiers, Bowlus' newest offering gets upgraded with the 3-in lift, all-terrain tires, spare tire mount and interior lashing system of the Adventure Package.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Feb. 2026
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Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford, who have now walked plenty a red carpet together, embrace their dark features with red lips, lashings of mascara, and undulating brunette curls.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes the messages got feisty, with Epstein lecturing Karp over a fee.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Before the world complicated things with espresso machines, oat milk debates, and influencers lecturing to you about grind size, wild coffee trees were clinging to the Ethiopian highlands.—
John Noakes,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Gators baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan enters his 19th year at Florida rested, ready and renewed after a season-ending tirade led to a three-game suspension, and a personal leave of absence provided a fresh perspective.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Kidd went so far as to name-drop the officials in his postgame tirade and could face a fine from the NBA for his comments.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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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
Noun
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Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Oct. 2024
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The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Breece is asking a hearing officer to impose a $10,000 fine and issue a public reprimand.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
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The complaint is seeking a $10,000 fine and a public reprimand or censure for actions that Ajayi took while running for office in 2024 while she was employed by Broward County.—
Carlton Gillespie,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tongue-lashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-lashing. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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