1
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the mayor had hardly been in office for a month before she was being excoriated for problems of very long standing
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Recent Examples of excoriate
With featured guests including superstars SZA and Doja Cat, Lizzo goes for the jugular throughout her radical mixtape to excoriate exes, doubters, haters and anyone else trying to dim her shine.
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Stephen Daw, Billboard, 27 June 2025
The State Building and Construction Trades Council, a construction union umbrella group that regularly clashes with the carpenters union on labor issues, excoriated the proposal in a letter to legislative leadership yesterday.
—Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison after judge excoriates him for lying on witness stand
Former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan was sentenced Friday to 7 1/2 years in prison in his corruption case, capping a stunning fall for the once powerful politician.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Trump spends a huge amount of time excoriating any CEO who refuses to relocate their manufacturing to the U.S.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Stephen Daw, Billboard, 27 June 2025
The State Building and Construction Trades Council, a construction union umbrella group that regularly clashes with the carpenters union on labor issues, excoriated the proposal in a letter to legislative leadership yesterday.
—Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison after judge excoriates him for lying on witness stand
Former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan was sentenced Friday to 7 1/2 years in prison in his corruption case, capping a stunning fall for the once powerful politician.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Trump spends a huge amount of time excoriating any CEO who refuses to relocate their manufacturing to the U.S.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
Verb
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In June, a woman defaced a Pilsen mural at 16th Street and Ashland Avenue and was accused of attacking another woman who tried to stop her.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
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Amorim needs a mobile centre forward capable of attacking open space at speed and offering a threat in quick transition.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Things escalated further as fans began requesting photos and videos, reportedly irritating the R&B star.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
14 July 2025
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According to Valliere, people and pets should avoid coming in contact with several invasive plants in California, including: Certain grasses, which produce long awns and seeds that can irritate skin, get stuck in pets’ fur, and cause discomfort for both animals and humans.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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McKinney ruffled some feathers by publicly criticizing former Giants’ defensive coordinator Wink Martindale in his final season with the Giants.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Economic Trends First time and affordable home buyers are getting slammed.—
Jamie Gold,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council and seen as a front-runner to be Powell’s successor, has also slammed the Fed for its renovation project, but he’s stopped short of saying the central bank should bend to Trump’s will.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Weeks after that House hearing, the Fed lowered rates a quarter point, but Trump kept haranguing and insulting Powell, calling for even more easing.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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In crafting a fun summer movie that wouldn’t insult the audience’s intelligence, Robinson looked to the film that created the idea of the summer blockbuster 50 years ago.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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