REBUKED Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

rebuked

verb

past tense of rebuke

as in admonished

to criticize (someone) so as to correct a fault the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college

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as in scolded

to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches

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as in reprimanded

to express public or formal disapproval of in a rare move, the state's supreme court rebuked the governor for trying to circumvent one of its recent rulings

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rebuked Hall also rebuked Laster for contacting a co-defendant after their indictment. — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 At a news conference Wednesday, Wahab rebuked Mohan’s statements. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 The president, who has long insisted that someone maliciously vandalized the lining of the pool with a knife or boxcutter, first rebuked Pirro's decision to drop the Hearn case in a Saturday social media post. — Emily Chang, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 But many Republicans rebuked the idea of his arrest - including the president himself. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 July 2026 And then legislators who had supported them were ousted in the state’s May primaries, rebuked by the pro-voucher governor and then by voters who sided with candidates the governor had backed. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026 Trump has repeatedly singled out Spain over those decisions and first floated the idea of cutting trade with the country in March—an economic threat that was widely rebuked by European leaders. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 8 July 2026 The unsealing of the disciplinary findings came one day after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sharply rebuked Krasner’s office for misleading courts, withholding evidence, and violating its duty of candor in multiple efforts to overturn murder convictions. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2026 But voters rebuked his vision for the future of Georgia’s Republican Party, writes Greg Bluestein. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 17 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuked

Verb

So if ever you are admonished for omitting the fish in a Caesar, point your mistaken scold to Tijuana.

— Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
Marsh, the judge who presided over the trial, repeatedly admonished Basabe for bringing up things that the court had previously ruled he wasn’t allowed to mention.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026

Definition of admonished

Verb

Alaves' Ángel Pérez was reprimanded by coach Quique Sánchez Flores after being substituted and punching the bench several times.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Rangel, who relinquished his position as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee amid the inquiry, was eventually censured, the first time a congressman had been thusly reprimanded in public in almost three decades.

— Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of reprimanded

Verb

Rangel, who relinquished his position as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee amid the inquiry, was eventually censured, the first time a congressman had been thusly reprimanded in public in almost three decades.

— Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
He has been accused of vote trading and threatening recalls against his colleagues and was censured twice by the council.

— Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026

Definition of censured

Verb

The 2015-16 El Niño pattern was blamed for record beach erosion along California’s coast.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
In the climate debate, low- and middle-income countries have often been blamed for rising emissions, while the vastly greater historical contribution of wealthy nations is treated as yesterday’s story.

— Peter Beyer, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of blamed

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rebuke

rebuked

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“Rebuked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuked. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rebuked

verb

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