PILLORIED Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

pilloried

verb

past tense of pillory

as in criticized

to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism The press pilloried the judge for her decision.

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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 pilloried He was pilloried near and far for electing to save ace Chris Sale for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Dodgers rather than send him to the mound for Sunday’s Game 2. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 5 Oct. 2026 The studio must have had some idea that the film was going to get pilloried in some corners as the ad went live even before the review embargo broke Tuesday. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026 In Europe, multiethnic capitals are pilloried by the far right as demographic time bombs, ground zero for invasions of unwanted foreigners. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026 Flock has been pilloried at city council meetings and its equipment has been physically attacked on the street. — Andrew Zucker, Vanity Fair, 14 Aug. 2026 He was soon being pilloried on several fronts including management decisions that alienated key executives, and a public fight with star Scarlett Johansson. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026 No wonder Izzy gets pilloried so many times just for having the driest sense of humor. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026 At the time, this movie was pilloried by most critics. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 June 2026 Monroe was pilloried, in her moment, but she was also allowed by Hollywood to test her talents in a manner that, decades later, actresses known for their physicality still struggle to do. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 1 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilloried

Verb

In both television commercials and in campaign mailers sent to homes across the state, Fazio has criticized Lamont repeatedly for months on electricity.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
The coach had criticized Brooklyn’s shot selection and turnovers before the game, saying the Nets’ decisions with the ball were feeding their problems on defense.

— C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticized

Verb

In his statement, Dan also blamed Russia for a spate of attacks in recent weeks on civilian maritime transport in the Black Sea, which has left at least three people dead and has raised fears of an escalation in Russia's war against Ukraine.

— STEPHEN McGRATH, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
In response, Citation once again blamed the pollution on old drilling practices, according to an email from one of the company’s engineers to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

— Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of blamed

Verb

For example, just recently, Musk publicly scolded the CEO of Delta in a scorching post on X when the airline did not partner with Starlink to provide Wi-Fi on Delta flights.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
But leaders seeking to encourage tourism scolded residents who warned of the danger on social media.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of scolded

Verb

Some people condemned the work for outing Foucault as a fellow AIDS sufferer.

— Hilton Als, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026
One story involves an innocent coal miner, condemned to death in 1877, who left a handprint in his cell at the Carbon County Jail that no amount of sanding or paint has been able to erase.

— Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of condemned

Verb

Omar has denounced the investigations as a politically motivated conspiracy against her, and used it to urge supporters to donate to her reelection campaign.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced violence related to immigration but has also acknowledged failures in the border control system over years that have allowed migrants to travel to and stay in South Africa without documentation.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of denounced

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pillboxes

pilloried

pillories

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“Pilloried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilloried. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pilloried

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