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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keelhaul
Verb
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According to Smith, James, who approached him in the third quarter during a timeout, scolded him for his commentary regarding his son and teammate, Bronny James.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
12 Mar. 2025
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Michelle Obama playfully scolded her husband, Barack Obama, on her new podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The controversy is intensifying, with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts having now publicly reprimanded the president after a social media post in which Trump called for the impeachment of Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. — the ...—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
19 Mar. 2025
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At the time, the House of Representatives, with the Democrats holding the majority, voted to reprimand Wilson, who later issued an apology to Obama.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Vance, who lectures U.S. allies about how to run their affairs, reminds us of every rich guy from suburban Pittsburgh who visits the Amalfi Coast in the summer, drives up the pedestrianized streets, and then complains that the pasta is too chewy and there’s no AC in his 15th-century villa.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
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Obama himself had to lecture black men testily about the need to turn out for Harris, suggesting their reluctance was due to sexism, but Biden’s numbers with this demographic were worse.—
W. James Antle III,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The guidance came after several GOP lawmaker town halls went viral for protests and complaints about the Trump administration, which Republicans have blamed on Democratic activists.—
Mychael Schnell,
The Hill,
19 Mar. 2025
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Losing at home to Tennessee, even with a backup quarterback, and at home to Arizona cannot be blamed entirely on the front office.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keelhaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhaul. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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