as in scolding
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as in lecturing
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
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Recent Examples of dressing-down
Jessica Lipsky, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
This change comes after Grok received a dressing-down from users and international officials for complying with requests to digitally undress women and underage girls or create sexualized deep fakes of them without their consent.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
That spectacle was followed by a very public dressing-down of Zelensky by Trump and Vance in the Oval Office.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat in the Oval Office and endured a brutal dressing-down.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Staying Grounded Under Fire: How to Lead with Emotional Resilience
One client faced a public dressing-down from his boss during a project meeting.
—Naz Beheshti, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Nothing, perhaps, has grated more than last month’s Oval Office dressing-down of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Nine goals, a 30-minute hat-trick, an unlikely comeback, a last-gasp winner, comedic errors and a dressing-down on the pitch at full-time, all played out in teeming rain in Lisbon, made this a night to remember.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
During her six-year tenure, Porter often went viral for wielding a whiteboard to emphasize her points while dressing down corporate executives in congressional hearings.
—Lia Russell
february 19, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The point of dressing down is to show solidarity with those fighting NF, which impacts 1 in every 2,500 people.
—Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2026
The cozy piece marked an ideal autumnal staple, with a multifaceted design for dressing up or dressing down, depending on the occasion.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
The timeless look is versatile enough for dressing down with a pair of jeans and a sweater or elevating with a maxi dress and some gold jewelry.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2025
For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
And while this dressing-down of beloved works might seem like another bummer in a world of doomscrolling, @heartthrobanderson is anything but.
—Jessica Lipsky, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
This change comes after Grok received a dressing-down from users and international officials for complying with requests to digitally undress women and underage girls or create sexualized deep fakes of them without their consent.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
That spectacle was followed by a very public dressing-down of Zelensky by Trump and Vance in the Oval Office.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat in the Oval Office and endured a brutal dressing-down.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Staying Grounded Under Fire: How to Lead with Emotional Resilience
One client faced a public dressing-down from his boss during a project meeting.
—Naz Beheshti, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Nothing, perhaps, has grated more than last month’s Oval Office dressing-down of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Nine goals, a 30-minute hat-trick, an unlikely comeback, a last-gasp winner, comedic errors and a dressing-down on the pitch at full-time, all played out in teeming rain in Lisbon, made this a night to remember.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
Mullin pulled no punches in dressing down Democrats for the delay.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
During her six-year tenure, Porter often went viral for wielding a whiteboard to emphasize her points while dressing down corporate executives in congressional hearings.
—Lia Russell
february 19, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The point of dressing down is to show solidarity with those fighting NF, which impacts 1 in every 2,500 people.
—Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2026
The cozy piece marked an ideal autumnal staple, with a multifaceted design for dressing up or dressing down, depending on the occasion.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
The timeless look is versatile enough for dressing down with a pair of jeans and a sweater or elevating with a maxi dress and some gold jewelry.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2025
For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressing-down
Noun
-
Following Putin’s scolding of his aides on Wednesday, the central bank chief said Thursday that Russia’s unemployment rate remained at a historic low of 2% as the war created a lack of available workers, forcing employers to compete for staff.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The scolding was met with more meows and barks.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Chapman’s lecture was one of several sessions making up the first day of Screen Forever 40, the three-day industry conference marking the 40th edition of the Screen Producers Australia gathering.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Audiences are now challenging the media’s monopoly and the top-down lecture modes of addressing viewers and readers, which in some cases can present ethical challenges.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That worked in Game 3, but Minnesota showed much better discipline in Game 4, seemingly having learned its lesson.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The lessons are relevant far beyond the country.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
This is a really good writer-talking-to-another-writer question.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Never underestimate the combined powers of a Liv Benson talking-to and a New York slice.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
In its decision, the court noted that the point of disciplinary action was not punishment, but to protect the public from further misconduct by an attorney and other attorneys.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The jury will decide his punishment.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Charlotte Tilbury Products Used on Emily Blunt Makeup artist Jenn Streicher swiped Emily Blunt’s lashes with the Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara for the world premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
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Blow the heat onto the curler for around five seconds, but always check the temperature with your finger before putting it on your lashes.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dressing-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressing-down. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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