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
On occasion, Muslim countries had publicly upbraided India, even if that rhetoric did not lead to any concrete change in policy.
—
Sumit Ganguly, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2022
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
See All Example Sentences for upbraid
Sumit Ganguly, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2022
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
See All Example Sentences for upbraid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upbraid
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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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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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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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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Even Bennington's family, namely mother Susan Eubanks and son Jaime Bennington, criticized the lineup change.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upbraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upbraid. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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