as in reprimand
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as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to berate someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job
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Recent Examples of berating
Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud's berating of a Christian minister who objected to street signs named after an Arab American leader is being called out by his electoral opponent.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Sep. 2025
The Week Us, TheWeek, 26 Apr. 2026
Per the report, staff have threatened to quit or walk off the job due to Kaplan allegedly yelling and berating crew and staff members.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Last fall, Porter went viral for clashing with a journalist, and then days later, videos emerged of her berating staffers.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Taylor Seely Chelsea Gods, 40, was berating car passengers driving up to the church, screaming that women shouldn't support rapists.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … UNHINGED RANT — Dems' favorite streamer Hasan Piker caught berating refugee on video.
—FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Ye's only commentary at the show, according to The New York Times, was berating stage technicians over the pace of the lighting.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The coach is swigging from a beer bottle, visibly drunk even from across a hockey rink, and roundly berating his players.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
The normally Trump-friendly Daily Caller ran a less-than-flattering piece about the president berating a reporter for asking about troop deployments.
—Kathy Kiely, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
Trump’s berating of China earlier this year has also brought rewards to Xi domestically, too.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud's berating of a Christian minister who objected to street signs named after an Arab American leader is being called out by his electoral opponent.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
The movie opens in 1966, when Michael was roughly 8 and his tyrannical father Joe, played by Colman Domingo, is beating and berating his five young sons to push them to stardom.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 26 Apr. 2026
Per the report, staff have threatened to quit or walk off the job due to Kaplan allegedly yelling and berating crew and staff members.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Last fall, Porter went viral for clashing with a journalist, and then days later, videos emerged of her berating staffers.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Taylor Seely Chelsea Gods, 40, was berating car passengers driving up to the church, screaming that women shouldn't support rapists.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … UNHINGED RANT — Dems' favorite streamer Hasan Piker caught berating refugee on video.
—FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Ye's only commentary at the show, according to The New York Times, was berating stage technicians over the pace of the lighting.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The coach is swigging from a beer bottle, visibly drunk even from across a hockey rink, and roundly berating his players.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
The normally Trump-friendly Daily Caller ran a less-than-flattering piece about the president berating a reporter for asking about troop deployments.
—Kathy Kiely, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berating
Noun
-
The medical board issued a formal reprimand against Ferguson and ordered him to complete continuing education on safe opioid prescribing within six months.—
Amber Gaudet,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Some activist investors had said even a 5% vote against Manifold, who has only been in post as chair since October, would represent a severe reprimand, particularly after a historic 24% vote against outgoing chair Helge Lund last year.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That kind of rebuke to the famous couple’s wealth may have come as no surprise.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The Latest Estonia’s government criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over his warning that Russia could be preparing to attack the Baltic states, a rare rebuke from one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies.—
Suzanne Lynch,
Bloomberg,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At Yale, where Garber began her career, Jacques Derrida was a frequent visitor, and Paul de Man might be found down the corridor solemnly lecturing on Nietzsche.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
How do teachers carry on teaching, lecturing, checking homework and having students prepare for assessments, and how do students enjoy the pleasures that extracurricular activities bring?—
Jerald McNair,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Despite the critical lashing, the audience score has been propped up by faithful fans and is sitting at 96%.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If plants look deflated or heavily wilted after a wind lashing, this is a sign of water loss.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hart was reprimanding Ross for doing what is the most offensive thing a comedian can do — suck up to the most important person in the room — and enforcing an old ethic in comedy, which is not apologizing for your jokes.—
Robert Lynch,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Indeed, Ye didn’t say much of anything during the two-hour concert beyond a number of reprimanding comments directed at his stage crew.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the appeal to you, gentle readers, to email us with your thoughts, questions, reproofs, corrections, jokes, recipes, etc.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
9 May 2025
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Advertisement China’s Foreign Ministry also issued a vehement reproof.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The changing telework fight Last year, unions regularly held large rallies opposing the return-to-office order; an anonymous group of state workers erected billboards along Interstate 80 criticizing the governor.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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While the organization hasn’t publicly said so, some have questioned whether the support is partly in retaliation against Cassidy for criticizing Kennedy’s vaccine policy agenda.—
Ali Swenson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berating. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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