talking (to) 1 of 2

present participle of talk (to)
as in speaking (to or with)
to communicate with by means of spoken words I had never talked to a real live cowboy before

Synonyms & Similar Words

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talking-to

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of talking-to
Verb
Never underestimate the combined powers of a Liv Benson talking-to and a New York slice. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 Jan. 2025 Roberts pulled the reliever in, gave him what seemed like a fatherly talking-to, and – after Ramirez got out of the inning with the very next pitch – noted that sometimes the best course is not to yell and scream at a player. Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 30 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking-to
Noun
  • The scolding came after Combs seemingly nodded at jurors during Bongolan’s testimony about the balcony incident.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 June 2025
  • Neither his pressure on the Ukrainian leader, who Trump lambasted in the Oval Office, nor his recent scolding of the Kremlin ruler appear to have pushed the two sides any closer to a peace deal.
    Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • Nat Geo experts provide photo advice, and historians and marine biologists host onboard lectures.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 3 July 2025
  • Central Florida Stamp Club: Meetings include auctions and informative lectures.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • Similar to linebacker, the Bears’ moves up front this offseason make addressing safety a possibility in the draft.
    Kevin Fishbain, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Toxic positivity often prevents teams from fully addressing difficult problems.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • After attending an initial 90-minute lesson, the instructor sent the class on our way to finish our scarves.
    Jann E. Freed, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Adams said his experience with the jetport taught him lessons.
    Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • 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
Noun
  • Mackenzie sued, arguing that under the Constitution, her American birth gave her citizenship as a right, not a privilege, to be removed only as punishment for a crime or through voluntary expatriation.
    Marcia Biederman, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2025
  • In April, the U.S. government revoked all South Sudanese visas as punishment for the country after its government refused to accept a deportee who was in fact from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
    Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • As the name implies, ghost lashes are a bare or slightly enhanced eye look centered around your natural lashes.
    Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 14 July 2025
  • This grippy, volumizing, long-lasting, and easy-to-remove tubing formula coats your lashes in rich pigment (choose between classic black and chocolatey brown) for all-day wear that withstands the elements.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 8 July 2025
Noun
  • Rob Blanchard, the governor’s communications director, already had announced an end to the press conference, an admonition ignored by the press — and governor.
    Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 24 June 2025
  • Tens of thousands were expected to march from Daley Plaza and coalesce in defiance and admonition of Trump near the downtown hotel tower bearing his name.
    Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Talking-to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking-to. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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