as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the coach chews out even the stars of the team if they fail to show up for practice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 chew out
Instances when the coach chewed out the quarterback for being late on a throw.
—
Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
But to chew out his boss--Edwin Stanton, secretary of war--would be more than just getting close to the line of insubordination.
—arkansasonline.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Judge is chewing out the parties.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
We're used to seeing movies with grizzled white guys playing leathery military men chewing out their platoons on the regular.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
But to chew out his boss--Edwin Stanton, secretary of war--would be more than just getting close to the line of insubordination.
—arkansasonline.com, 12 Feb. 2025
There’s also a story line of Harper being chewed out by Petra when Petra finds out how Harper actually got the information necessary to short Pierpoint, i.e., illegally.
—Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2024
In the following scene, which marks a turning point between Emily and Luke, Emily chews out Luke for pushing a deal that ends up costing their firm $25 million.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
In 2017, the Usos chewed out The New Day in a lyrical skirmish during Monday Night Raw.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023
Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
But to chew out his boss--Edwin Stanton, secretary of war--would be more than just getting close to the line of insubordination.
—arkansasonline.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Judge is chewing out the parties.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
We're used to seeing movies with grizzled white guys playing leathery military men chewing out their platoons on the regular.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
But to chew out his boss--Edwin Stanton, secretary of war--would be more than just getting close to the line of insubordination.
—arkansasonline.com, 12 Feb. 2025
There’s also a story line of Harper being chewed out by Petra when Petra finds out how Harper actually got the information necessary to short Pierpoint, i.e., illegally.
—Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2024
In the following scene, which marks a turning point between Emily and Luke, Emily chews out Luke for pushing a deal that ends up costing their firm $25 million.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
In 2017, the Usos chewed out The New Day in a lyrical skirmish during Monday Night Raw.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chew out
Verb
-
Whether this comes off as a joke or as an invitation for scolding (spoken or unspoken, loving or otherwise) depends entirely on the other Muslims in the room.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
-
But there was a time Emily Deschanel, who played the meticulous forensic anthropologist through 12 seasons of Bones, got scolded for being just that — and the memory still makes the star emotional.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
Gavin could learn something to benefit Californians rather than lecturing Americans 3,000 miles away.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
-
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
Verb
-
The responding officer later reprimanded the woman for entering the vehicle to help the dog.—
Sydney Sasser
July 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 July 2025
-
Some judges are known to reprimand attorneys who miss deadlines and even sanction them.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump doubled down on his past criticism and blamed Biden for Powell remaining in the role.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
The current president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group, blamed it for unrest in the country and imprisoned many of its leaders.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
Many airlines have long relied on aging computer systems, and the aviation industry has been criticized for failing to modernize swiftly.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
22 July 2025
-
Even Bennington's family, namely mother Susan Eubanks and son Jaime Bennington, criticized the lineup change.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
Miles, the Manual student, noted how when she and her fellow bus riders were called down to the office to receive information on the return of transportation, almost all of them were Black.—
Grace Fridy,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
-
Upper apartments, though, were built without kitchens, since their owners might as well call down for room service.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chew out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chew%20out. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share