as in condemnation
an often public or formal expression of disapproval
delivered a stinging rebuke to the Congress, calling for an end to backstabbing and arguing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to reprimand
to criticize (someone) so as to correct a fault
the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches
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3
as in to censure
to express public or formal disapproval of
in a rare move, the state's supreme court rebuked the governor for trying to circumvent one of its recent rulings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rebuke
Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
The withdrawal is likely to draw swift rebukes from Western governments, which have been urging Tehran to allow a resumption of IAEA visits since a ceasefire in the Israel-Iran war last month.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 5 July 2025
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 23 June 2025
Federal judges have begun to rebuke his authoritarian actions.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebuke
Noun
Foreign Aid Faces $8 Billion in Cuts as Critics Warn of Global Fallout
The package of cuts includes a rollback of approximately $8 billion in foreign aid—drawing sharp rebukes from Democrats who warn the cuts could have deadly consequences and undermine U.S. global influence.
—Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
The withdrawal is likely to draw swift rebukes from Western governments, which have been urging Tehran to allow a resumption of IAEA visits since a ceasefire in the Israel-Iran war last month.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 5 July 2025
Verb
At the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking Sunday during the second Security Council meeting in three days, rebuked the U.S. for escalating the conflict in Iran.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 23 June 2025
Federal judges have begun to rebuke his authoritarian actions.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebuke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuke
Noun
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Fremantle masterfully captures the emotional weight of a young woman forced to fight for her voice, her future, and her dignity in the face of societal condemnation.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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There has been international condemnation of the attack, including from key Israeli ally the US, which comes at a time when there has been no let up in the offensive in Gaza.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
18 July 2025
Verb
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The responding officer later reprimanded the woman for entering the vehicle to help the dog.—
Sydney Sasser
July 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 July 2025
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Some judges are known to reprimand attorneys who miss deadlines and even sanction them.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 June 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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Maine state representative Laurel Libby had her speaking rights restored by fellow state lawmakers on Wednesday, five months after she was censured for a social media post that identified a trans athlete.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
25 June 2025
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Just days ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) again censured Iran for failing to comply with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations.—
Laurence Milstein,
Sun Sentinel,
24 June 2025
Verb
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The back-to-back performances came after Ware’s effort was admonished by coach Erik Spoelstra at a Saturday practice.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 July 2025
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He was admonished once by the judge for nodding enthusiastically toward jurors during a successful stretch of cross-examination by one of his lawyers.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Gavin could learn something to benefit Californians rather than lecturing Americans 3,000 miles away.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
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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
Verb
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Huckabee, an evangelical Christian who is normally strongly supportive of Israel, harshly condemned the attack.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2025
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The Trump administration accused them of belonging to the Tren de Aragua street gang in a case condemned by rights groups.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 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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Amy openly criticized some of the Duggar family’s beliefs and practices in the Shiny Happy People documentary.—
Jane LaCroix,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebuke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuke. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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