as in reprimands
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scolds
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Woke scolds and anti-woke dolts alike objected to the image of Carpenter kneeling in front of a man who appears to be using her hair as a leash.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Governance scolds are appalled by the number, as is the pope.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for scolds
Verb
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The same government that lectures Beijing about state capitalism and nonmarket behaviors now practices it at home.—
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But Andres Bernal, a political analyst who lectures at the City University of New York, thinks many young voters look at Cuomo's history of controversy and are reminded of the Democratic Party establishment that has left them disillusioned.—
Verb
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Opposition criticizes the deal Skerrit provided few details on how his island, still facing a housing shortage after Category 5 Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September 2017, plans to accommodate the refugees.—
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Animal rights is not the only point on which Sliwa criticizes the president.—
Noun
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Maybe that’s why, compared with some other kinds of nitpickers, pop critics can seem especially extraneous.—
Verb
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Her school blames a heartbreaking tragedy in her family.—
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And in fact, somebody that Victor blames for the death of his beloved mother.—
Noun
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Over the past year, CBS has experienced several controversies and new ownership that led to new leadership, which have some critics accusing the network of losing its credibility.—
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This defiance has rallied Danes behind her, though critics have questioned her ability to defend the homeland.—
Verb
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Consequently, the conference is imposing a $5,000 fine and admonishes all institutions to use the ‘out’ designation only if there are no circumstances under which a student-athlete could participate in a game.—
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The report admonishes the Alameda County foster care system for ongoing structural deficiencies, including understaffing and poor record-keeping, while also noting that the agency’s plan to address service gaps may still not be enough to bring it up to standard.—
Verb
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Late With Scotty Bristol, who berates his writers, helmed by a producer played by Amy Sedaris.—
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In another clip, his mother berates Pormanove over the phone for letting the co-streamers shave off parts of his hair.—
Verb
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As Dexter questions why Batista’s death hurts so much, Brian chastises his brother for listening to Harry too much.—
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Red Jacob chastises Colum for not healing quickly enough.—
Cite this Entry
“Scolds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scolds. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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