as in attacking
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel
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Recent Examples of savaging
For months, the two right-wing media stars had been savaging each other on their respective platforms.
—
Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savaging
Verb
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Winger Xavi Simons’ anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury will keep him out for some time, with striker Dominic Solanke also pulling up — albeit his ailment appears less serious — at Molineux to cast doubt over Spurs’ attacking firepower in the upcoming weeks.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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He was also found guilty of two counts of assault for attacking two other men with butcher knives.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly responded on X, slamming his Ukrainian counterpart for conducting diplomacy on social media.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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Trump’s remarks came hours after the first lady released a statement slamming Kimmel for the comment.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
27 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
Cite this Entry
“Savaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savaging. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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