censuring 1 of 2

adjective

as in captious

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censuring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of censure
1
as in reprimanding
to express public or formal disapproval of a vote to censure the President for conduct that was unbecoming to his office

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2
as in denouncing
to declare to be morally wrong or evil our society generally censures the taking of another person's life

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3
as in criticizing
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of critics have striven to outdo each other in censuring that pop novelist's latest work

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Example Sentences

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 censuring
Verb
Jackson intended to call for a resolution censuring Wilson over her conduct. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 Two Republicans voted against censuring Edwards, despite the recommendation. — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026 The City Council, which is considering censuring the mayor, asked for assistance because the city’s Human Resources director wasn’t available at the time, according to Mayor Pro Tem Tara Graves. — Elijah Megginson, AJC.com, 25 July 2026 As this memoir opens, Iran’s morality police stalk the university where Nafisi works, censuring her female students. — The Atlantic, 14 May 2026 Brown, the lone vote against Martinez’s item, said offering trainings to all councilmembers without mandating it for the mayor and not censuring him absolved Martinez of accountability. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026 Those choices included censuring and sanctioning me, a military veteran commissioned through CU Boulder, the only Black Regent, and the first Black woman to serve on the board in 43 years. — Wanda James, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026 The House voted against censuring Plaskett in a 209-214-3 vote. — Connor Greene, Time, 21 Nov. 2025 But, honestly, Meyers added, he wasn’t bothered by the attack, which is the latest in a line of Truth Social posts Trump has made censuring the comic. — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for censuring
  1. captious
  2. reprimanding
  3. denouncing
  4. criticizing
  5. hypercritical
  6. condemning
  7. blaming
  8. faulting
Adjective
  • So much of the new sobriety flex is anathema to the captious alcoholics of 12-step groups.
    — Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 19 Apr. 2022
  • That a right-wing party traditionally captious about American patriotism did not react heatedly to evidence of Russian interference in US elections is bizarre.
    — Darryl Pinckney, The New York Review of Books, 5 Nov. 2020
Definition of captious
Verb
  • Instead of reprimanding his pet, Linnetz seems to recognize the moment as a potentially good shot.
    — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The audience awkwardly chuckles, and Scovel, eyes still closed, begins reprimanding them.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of reprimanding
Verb
  • But critics, like the Civic Federation, are denouncing the budget plan, calling it an unacceptable abdication of responsibility to meet the fiscal realities facing the city.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • What began with peaceful protests by high school students demanding better conditions at schools has morphed into roiling protests nationwide denouncing rising living costs and inequities in French society.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of denouncing
Verb
  • Pentecostal parents Ruth and Marius were accused of domestic violence, with worldwide protests criticizing what dissenters called harsh and hasty steps taken by Norwegian social workers without proper evidence.
    — Tomris Laffly, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Cofer is criticizing Guerra’s absence from the vote and is asking him to publicly state his position on the partnership.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticizing
Adjective
  • Wide receiver Mike Evans An 11-time, 1,000-yard receiver needs no token compliments or hypercritical analysis.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 July 2026
  • Drowning in bureaucracy and hypercritical of her colleagues, Santos (Isa Briones) could burn out from frustration and resentment.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of hypercritical
Verb
  • López’s murder sparked global outcry, with Pope Francis, the United Nations and the human rights arm of the Organization of American States condemning the incident and calling for an independent investigation.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Acton spent Tuesday condemning Ramaswamy for the ad even before his campaign confirmed its provenance.
    — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemning
Verb
  • The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk ordered the shift, a claim that was bolstered by statements from Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth blaming Musk’s SpaceX for any change.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner earlier in October said that Lewis was acquitted in a previous murder case, blaming police misconduct for the outcome.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of blaming
Verb
  • The teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, in a memo to school board members, presented a counter interpretation and said the state team exaggerated the crisis and was implicitly faulting justified wage increases.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • These features are interpreted as evidence of faulting along the caldera rim as the floor subsided.
    — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of faulting

Browse Nearby Words

censures
censuring
census
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Cite this Entry

“Censuring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/censuring. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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