as in to blame
to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
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Recent Examples of pillory
Last year, in response to some political parodies that used images created by artificial intelligence, including one that pilloried Vice President Kamala Harris, the Legislature passed and Newsom signed two measures to outlaw such tomfoolery.
—
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
But the Trump administration, which has regularly pilloried the policies of the Biden administration, saw the CHIPs act as a needless giveaway and is now hoping to make a profit off the funding that had been pledged to Intel.
—Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pilloried Biden for his administration’s massive deficit spending.
—Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
The series has never strived to be anything more than opulent fluff, but it still gets consistently pilloried for its lack of realism.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pillory
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
But the Trump administration, which has regularly pilloried the policies of the Biden administration, saw the CHIPs act as a needless giveaway and is now hoping to make a profit off the funding that had been pledged to Intel.
—Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pilloried Biden for his administration’s massive deficit spending.
—Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
The series has never strived to be anything more than opulent fluff, but it still gets consistently pilloried for its lack of realism.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pillory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillory
Verb
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If a new medication is to blame, switching drugs can sometimes help.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Gabriel may not be blamed for Cleveland's offensive struggles, but the Browns will have to explore what Sanders can bring to the field if Gabriel can't showcase more of an arm.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In recent months, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has repeatedly criticized Tucker Carlson.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Trump announced plans to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canada on Saturday over a TV ad featuring footage of former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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George Clooney is looking back at one of the more surreal moments from his early Hollywood days — getting personally scolded by the legendary Frank Sinatra.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
26 Oct. 2025
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That is the adage used to scold someone whose gaze is fixed on a particular subject a little too long.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The infamous two-part operation, which killed more than 40 people and injured another 3,400, was condemned by Lebanon, the United Nations and human rights NGOs, but also intrigued the world for its ingenuity.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
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The American Jewish Committee, one of the country’s most influential Jewish advocacy groups, took the unusual step of issuing a formal statement condemning Mamdani’s language.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife, also apologized to Epstein for publicly denouncing him.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
24 Oct. 2025
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It was deployed there in April last year for drills, but Washington and Manila later decided to extend the deployment indefinitely—a move denounced by Beijing.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pillory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillory. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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