told off

past tense of tell off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for told off
Verb
  • The boat therefore needed metal or plastic cages installed around the engines, so that the diver wouldn’t get accidentally cut up by their blades — and finding a boat and then the right cages fit onto the boat would take time.
    Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Techniques like this have been around for some time, but Micro-C uses an enzyme that can cut up DNA more finely than before.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • These timeless styles look polished, but can easily be dressed down with a tee and sneakers.
    Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
  • With its refined silhouette, subtle logo detailing, and classic colors—from black to a fall-ready burgundy—the elegant accessory can be dressed down for coffee runs and classed up for date nights.
    Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Being chewed out was nothing new, part of life as a football player.
    Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
    Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Trump, then in his first term as president, scolded police in a social media post for not protecting the statue.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • Michael Schill, then president of Northwestern, was berated by congressional Republicans for brokering a compromise with pro-Palestinian protesters last year, disbanding their tent cities while preserving free speech.
    James Druckman, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
  • On her first-ever boat, she was berated by a misogynistic captain to the point of swearing back at him and walking off.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Rossi protested his innocence and claimed he was punished so strictly because of his prominent role in Italian football, to make an example.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Pickens' antics were on full display in Dallas’ 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders last week, and the NFL has punished him accordingly.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Cheen also lectured on the music industry across Asia and Australia.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Augusta was a devout Christian who often lectured the Bible to her sons and blamed alcohol and women for the evils of the world, per the outlet.
    Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Told off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/told%20off. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

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