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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of excoriate
During hours of debate on Friday, Democratic senators excoriated Hegseth over their concerns about his personal conduct and his qualifications.
—
Mariel Padilla and Grace Panetta, Them, 27 Jan. 2025
The letter excoriated her for taking TV interviews while the city burned.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The former special prosecutor had become one of Trump’s biggest targets during his prosecutions, with the now-president-elect repeatedly excoriating him in speeches, over social media, and at rallies.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Jan. 2025
The argument has, at times, sounded outright offensive; Ramaswamy, for instance, justified his preference for cheap foreign labor by excoriating American culture itself.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Mariel Padilla and Grace Panetta, Them, 27 Jan. 2025
The letter excoriated her for taking TV interviews while the city burned.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The former special prosecutor had become one of Trump’s biggest targets during his prosecutions, with the now-president-elect repeatedly excoriating him in speeches, over social media, and at rallies.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Jan. 2025
The argument has, at times, sounded outright offensive; Ramaswamy, for instance, justified his preference for cheap foreign labor by excoriating American culture itself.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
Verb
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The case, which generated headlines around the world, comes amid rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.—
Sophia Tareen and Melissa Perez Winder,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
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Despite losing all three, there were significant improvements collectively and individually, with contributions from attacking starlets Nico Paz, who scored against Atalanta, and Diao, who got the equaliser against Juventus.—
David Ferrini,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Thankfully, the blood had come from an ongoing ear infection that Roxy had irritated during her panicked state.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
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Also, the Cane Toad emits a toxin that irritates skin and eyes.—
Alan Clemons,
Outdoor Life,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, the voice resembling Smith Sr.’s goes silent for the remainder of the phone call, as Martinez continues to scold him for his actions.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
24 Feb. 2025
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Shakira storms off Miami nightclub stage after appearing to scold clubgoer for filming up her dress The title of the tour is taken from the singer's 12th studio album, released last year and the first since 2017's El Dorado.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Hackman was praised for his acting but the movie was fiercely criticized for appearing to whitewash history and marginalize Black characters.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC News,
27 Feb. 2025
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New York Mayor Eric Adams was facing a criminal corruption case until it was suspended in February by President Trump's Justice Department, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was criticized over her handling of the wildfires which struck the city in January.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, whose northeast San Fernando Valley district has experienced major hillside fires in recent years, also slammed Bass’ decision.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2025
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Though he was limited to just 1:55 of ice time in the Americans’ 2-1 loss to Sweden on Feb. 17 after slamming hard into the goal post during first-period action, Tkachuk was the Americans’ most impactful player in the tournament, from start to finish.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Both fighters had been insulting each other throughout a heated press conference before things boiled over on stage.—
Ben Church,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
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About time people from the US come to understand how insulting this has been.—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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