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
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
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky excoriated the White House and President Donald Trump on Wednesday after saying he and his family had been disinvited from the annual White House picnic.
—Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Other journalists had excoriated McCarthy earlier, in print and on the radio, but Murrow met the medium and the moment in 1954, demonstrating the senator’s smear tactics and stirring a severe public backlash.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
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
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky excoriated the White House and President Donald Trump on Wednesday after saying he and his family had been disinvited from the annual White House picnic.
—Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Other journalists had excoriated McCarthy earlier, in print and on the radio, but Murrow met the medium and the moment in 1954, demonstrating the senator’s smear tactics and stirring a severe public backlash.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
Verb
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The hitting coach pointed to Volpe’s weight shift in his back legs being out of sync, which leads to pitchers being able to attack him on breaking and off-speed pitches.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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In 1940: The Battle of Britain began as German forces bombed shipping convoys in the English Channel, attacking its ports and radar stations.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Officials want Indianapolis parents to take responsibility for their children Speaking at a news conference over the weekend, Bailey scolded parents for allowing their children out at night unsupervised.—
Matthew Cupelli,
IndyStar,
7 July 2025
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Trump has publicly scolded Massie for his opposition.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Political dynamics: DeSantis criticized the Florida House for delaying condo relief legislation, while House Speaker Daniel Perez defended the decision to address the issue during the regular session, highlighting the collaborative effort between the House and Senate.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
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The fair housing group criticized Osili for neglecting to mention that his wife — Una Osili, a professor and the associate dean of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy — is a member of the bank's advisory board of directors.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
8 July 2025
Verb
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In June, the artist slammed ICE in a video recorded in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where officers are seen detaining several people in the streets.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
4 July 2025
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Beshear slammed Republicans in support of the bill, accusing them of abandoning constituents who depend on the programs.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Heard believed someone behind him insulted him, leading to him shooting Betker Jr. multiple times, according to court documents.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
8 July 2025
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Despite today’s political climate, insulting a predecessor while said predecessor sat right there on camera felt too cringy to me.—
Lubna Zeidan,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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