keelhauling

verb

present participle of keelhaul
as in scolding
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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for keelhauling
  1. scolding
  2. lecturing
  3. reprimanding
Verb
  • Soon though, Shawna noticed some of Zaayer's strange behaviors — including scolding her grandson, getting upset over cleaning habits and allegedly showing them racist videos.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Justice Barrett actually sounded kind of sharp, almost scolding, in the opinion in her criticism of the assertions made by the plaintiffs and some of the justices in the minority.
    — John E. Jones III, The Conversation, 1 July 2026
Definition of scolding
Verb
  • College professors spend less time lecturing than a typical sportswriter creating fake controversies to criticize.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
  • If and until that day comes, there will be fingerpointing, lecturing and posturing, all of which has flowed freely in the wake of the Sorsby decision.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 June 2026
Definition of lecturing
Verb
  • Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Earlier this week, Scott Agness claimed his press credentials were revoked by the team after his reporting led to the WNBA reprimanding the Fever for not being transparent about Clark’s health status during a game on May 20.
    — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Definition of reprimanding
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Keelhauling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhauling. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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