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
That assessment could have been applied to other reality-TV judges, on shows such as America’s Next Top Model, The Apprentice, The Biggest Loser—and there’s no shortage of clips in which a host excoriates a young participant over something trivial.
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Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2024
Newsom is also the only Democrat to use his own campaign money for TV commercials backing Democrats and excoriating Republicans in red states like Alabama and Florida.
—Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 6 July 2024
The season repeatedly indicts the Milwaukee police for its apparent indifference to Dahmer’s victims, many of whom were Black or brown and gay, and excoriates true-crime aficionados for their callousness toward the victims and their families.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
Paddy grinds it to a halt several times, excoriating Ant for not performing his part well enough.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for excoriate 
Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2024
Newsom is also the only Democrat to use his own campaign money for TV commercials backing Democrats and excoriating Republicans in red states like Alabama and Florida.
—Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 6 July 2024
The season repeatedly indicts the Milwaukee police for its apparent indifference to Dahmer’s victims, many of whom were Black or brown and gay, and excoriates true-crime aficionados for their callousness toward the victims and their families.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
Paddy grinds it to a halt several times, excoriating Ant for not performing his part well enough.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
Verb
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Just two years prior, the NFL team had shelled out more than $1.4 million trying to get Becker elected mayor, and another roughly $1 million attacking Mayor Lisa Gillmor.Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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An investigation from DePaul University and the Chicago Police Department is underway after two Jewish students who were visibly showing their support for Israel were attacked on the university’s Lincoln Park campus.NBC Chicago, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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So, strong actives like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and tea tree oil are likely too harsh and can irritate the bump even more.Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Nov. 2024
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Use mild products: Avoid skin products that can irritate, such as toners, astringents, and exfoliants.Mark Gurarie, Health, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Still, watching Hannah scold him about everything, from 401(k)s to boiling water to phone bills, from ordering him to walk a dog that doesn’t belong to him to telling him that riding hotel pool furniture would give her the ick, was painful.Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
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Dolores returns to scold her grandson for badmouthing her during the show’s Día de los Muertos episode, which airs on NBC on Friday, Oct. 25.Brendan Le, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Thao, the first Hmong American mayor to lead a major American city, was criticized shortly after taking office for letting go of a police chief and taking months to replace him.Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
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But the group has largely been shy about criticizing Trump openly.Peter Green, Quartz, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
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After making landfall in Cuba, the storm is expected to sideswipe the Florida Keys and slam into Louisiana at the weekend, though the forecast this far out is still unclear.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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Topline Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce apologized on Monday for slamming a football fan’s phone into the ground over the weekend, after the fan called his brother a homophobic slur for his relationship with Taylor Swift.Ty Roush, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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At the rally, the Republican hit several familiar notes, hinting at election fraud, insulting his opponents and criticizing Harris over immigration and the economy.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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Trump has regularly insulted women who may pose a threat to him, such as his former opponent Hillary Clinton.Alena Botros, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near excoriate
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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