as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to keelhaul him—it was an honest mistake, and a small one at that
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Recent Examples of keelhaul
And other than a recession, which generally keelhauls buyback plans, don’t expect companies to ease off their repurchases.
—
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
To hell with a class action suit, these people should have been keelhauled under the Staten Island Ferry for a year.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 25 Oct. 2017
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
To hell with a class action suit, these people should have been keelhauled under the Staten Island Ferry for a year.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 25 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keelhaul
Verb
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The White House was reprimanded: A federal judge scolded the Trump administration for failing to try to return the man.—
Cate Martel,
The Hill,
16 Apr. 2025
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In Congress, Trump’s Tariff Pullback Sparks Relief, Frustration, and Suspicion At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt scolded reporters for not understanding the president’s plans.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Mickey Rourke was reprimanded on Celebrity Big Brother UK after using a homophobic slur toward fellow housemate JoJo Siwa.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2025
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The mom comes back and then reprimanded me for not supporting her baby’s head.—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Quilting group hosts lecture, workshop El Camino Quilt Guild meets at 9:30 a.m. April 8 at El Corazon Senior Center, 3302 Senior Center Drive.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
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But the club’s members didn’t lecture or advocate until 20 years after its 1876 founding.—
Ron Grossman,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Last month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Trump's tariffs were partly to blame for price increases that had taken place in February.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
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They are blamed for a mysterious illness that’s starting to spread – said to be passed through a single gaze, when one man falls in love with another.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keelhaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhaul. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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