as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
his wife upbraided him for his irresponsible handling of the family finances
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Recent Examples of upbraid
In a blistering memo circulated around the agency before he was laid off in late summer, Frantz upbraided political leaders.
—
Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 17 Dec. 2025
The current episode is no less dramatic than previous ones that saw Zelenskiy upbraided by Vance and Trump in an Oval Office meeting.
—Natalia Drozdiak, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025
During cross-examination, he was upbraided for long answers that did not immediately answer the question he had been asked.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Zelenskyy walked away from the meeting not only empty-handed, but apparently upbraided by Trump, who said Ukraine should accept Russia’s terms for ending the war — by handing over the entire eastern territory of Donbas, the epicenter of ongoing fighting in Ukraine.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upbraid
Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 17 Dec. 2025
The current episode is no less dramatic than previous ones that saw Zelenskiy upbraided by Vance and Trump in an Oval Office meeting.
—Natalia Drozdiak, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025
During cross-examination, he was upbraided for long answers that did not immediately answer the question he had been asked.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Zelenskyy walked away from the meeting not only empty-handed, but apparently upbraided by Trump, who said Ukraine should accept Russia’s terms for ending the war — by handing over the entire eastern territory of Donbas, the epicenter of ongoing fighting in Ukraine.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upbraid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upbraid
Verb
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Rogers scolded Musk on Tuesday morning for his recent social media posts about the trial and threatened a gag order before the jury arrived in the courtroom.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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Or tie scolds to the ducking stool again.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israeli leaders later disavowed the incident and said he would be reprimanded.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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Kudrow, who starred as the free-spirited Phoebe Buffay, said the writers reprimanded the cast for forgetting lines and spent their off-hours fantasizing about her female co-stars.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For years, states such as New York and California have been run by politicians who seem to believe prosperity is permanent — an endless resource to be taxed a little more, regulated a little harder and lectured a little longer.—
Larry Clifton,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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Steve Kerr's new New Yorker interview sounds a lot less like a man eager to lecture Americans and a lot more like a man trying to clean up a mess he's spent years making.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mira cried, when Andy criticized Nate for being unsupportive.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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During that time, Becerra was criticized for being slow to join a multistate effort investigating tech monopolies and for opposing police reform legislation.—
Lia Russell
May 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upbraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upbraid. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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