KEELHAULS Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

keelhauls

verb

present tense third-person singular of keelhaul

as in scolds

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 Synonyms for keelhauls

Verb

In a video shared by De La Espriella’s office Tuesday, the president scolds some of the suspects captured by police.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
In a video shared by De la Espriella’s office Tuesday, the president scolds some of the suspects captured by police.

— Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of scolds

Verb

Being a fly on the wall is precisely what Hard Knocks makes viewers feel like in the moment when Head Coach Mike Macdonald reprimands linebacker Derick Hall for getting too close to a quarterback.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
The emperor reprimands her for being late for the rainmaking ritual.

— Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026

Definition of reprimands

Verb

Cervera, who often publicly criticizes school district decisions, defends his criticism of Fernandez.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
At an October debate, Bass pointed out that Raman, as chair of the city council’s housing and homelessness committee, had repeatedly approved spending on Inside Safe, the very program Raman now criticizes as expensive and insufficiently accountable.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticizes

Verb

The district blames the decline on Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities that happened in early 2026.

— Ashley Grams, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
However, a Haitian source who is familiar with the issue, blames Green for the delays.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of blames

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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keelhauling

keelhauls

keeling

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“Keelhauls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhauls. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of keelhauls

verb

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