as in browbeating
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in intimidating
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
the judge warned the attorney that hectoring the witness with aggressive questioning would not be allowed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hectoring
Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
Sure, there's the hectoring of Federal Reserve officials, Chairman Jerome Powell and Governor Lisa Cook, and the attempt by the president to make the central bank another appendage of the White House.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
Imagine if Clooney had chosen to use his star power to spotlight a genuinely worthy project — the way, say, Sarah Paulson did with Appropriate or Keanu Reeves is doing with Waiting For Godot — rather than the stuffy, moribund, on-the-nose hectoring that was Good Night, and Good Luck?
—Verb
One senior official who has participated in the calls told us that the intensity and urgency often veer into hectoring.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectoring
Verb
-
Indeed, one of General George Washington’s greatest achievements was to avoid being cornered and forced to capitulate to these intimidating legions in the war’s early years.—
-
Tips for Making Coconut Cake Layer cakes can be intimidating for hobby bakers.—
Noun
-
Since their inception, social media companies have implemented protective measures for users such as filtering bullying comments and enabling minors to opt out of seeing personalized ads.—
-
The former film titan’s attorneys had argued that the jury at his retrial was beset by infighting, bullying and other improper behavior.—
Verb
-
This might take a series of browbeating prompts, but that’s not a big deal.—
Noun
-
Horn was ruled out with a concussion in the middle of Stafford’s onslaught of successful passes.—
-
In total, the trail took me around five hours to descend and about seven hours to climb up, with one overnight at Phantom Ranch on the Grand Canyon floor to break up the lactic acid onslaught.—
Noun
-
Mariners traversing the bar are urged to exercise extreme caution or stay in port until the threat subsides.—
-
Information widely available within the industry suggested that land movement related to hurricane activity was a threat to pipelines.—
Noun
-
Travelers not seeking football frenzy should avoid the fall, when hotel and airfare prices skyrocket and crowds are large.—
-
January was set to host a free-agent frenzy, with most league veterans aligning their contracts to expire in advance of the new CBA.—
Noun
-
Critiques from the American right, which lament the film’s timely depictions of a police state, immigrant internment camps and leftist revolt, read like ChatGPT essays programmed to write in the voice of Karen.—
-
The film, which is Palestine’s entry for the Best International Feature category of the Oscars, tells the story of the Arab revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine in the 1930s.—
Noun
-
These are among the many questions posed by Simon Morrison’s sprawling biography of place, which seeks to understand a nation through the life of its largest city, tracing Moscow’s evolution via dozens of historical upheavals, from war, famine, drought, and much, much more.—
-
It’s been a big year of upheaval for Allen, who split from ex David Harbour in February, per People.—
Cite this Entry
“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share