as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
his wife upbraided him for his irresponsible handling of the family finances
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Recent Examples of upbraid
Some sources point to friction with Soon-Shiong’s 30-year-old daughter, Nika Soon-Shiong, who in recent years has apparently appointed herself the paper’s unofficial ombudsman, publicly upbraiding journalists when their politics don’t fall in line with her own progressive thinking.
—
Jason McGahan, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2024
When audio leaked in late 2020 of Cruise upbraiding Mission: Impossible crew members for not following pandemic protocols, the overall reaction was less shock, more awe.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2023
International institutions have repeatedly upbraided Italy on this front.
—Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 14 July 2023
In a scathing November 2020 ruling, L.A. Superior Court Judge William F. Fahey upbraided Adams for repeatedly racking up more in fees than the judge had authorized.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for upbraid
Jason McGahan, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2024
When audio leaked in late 2020 of Cruise upbraiding Mission: Impossible crew members for not following pandemic protocols, the overall reaction was less shock, more awe.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2023
International institutions have repeatedly upbraided Italy on this front.
—Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 14 July 2023
In a scathing November 2020 ruling, L.A. Superior Court Judge William F. Fahey upbraided Adams for repeatedly racking up more in fees than the judge had authorized.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for upbraid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upbraid
Verb
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Officials want Indianapolis parents to take responsibility for their children Speaking at a news conference over the weekend, Bailey scolded parents for allowing their children out at night unsupervised.—
Matthew Cupelli,
IndyStar,
7 July 2025
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Trump has publicly scolded Massie for his opposition.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Dan Baltic, a co-founder in New Ritual Press and one of tonight’s readers, remembers being reprimanded in 2019 in a writing workshop by a woman who was appalled by the alt-right protagonist of his debut novel, Nutcrankr.—
John McDermott,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2025
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Though city reprimanded the protesters, the group dissolved shortly after.—
Calista Oetama
July 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Lincoln Mitchell, a political strategy and campaign specialist who lectures at Columbia University, to understand what Mamdani’s primary win might indicate about the direction of national politics.—
Lincoln Mitchell,
The Conversation,
27 June 2025
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DuVernay presents the inhumanity of the situation without lecturing the audience or patronizing the subjects, instead providing an honest portrait of the fear, hope, and lost time that the Central Park Five experienced as the result of a profoundly broken justice system.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Political dynamics: DeSantis criticized the Florida House for delaying condo relief legislation, while House Speaker Daniel Perez defended the decision to address the issue during the regular session, highlighting the collaborative effort between the House and Senate.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
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The feud between the two was reignited after Musk criticized Trump’s big legislative package of tax reductions and Medicaid cuts, which passed Congress last week.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upbraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upbraid. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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