CALL DOWN Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

call down

verb

Definition of call down

as in to scold

to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings I was called down by my supervisor for not catching the accounting error sooner

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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 call down King called down to Branch from the balcony of a hotel where several iconic musicians had made entries into the catalogue of protest music. — Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 22 Apr. 2026 At another point, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman called down to Earth to NASA’s IT specialists on the ground to report that both versions of Microsoft’s email program Outlook installed on his computer were not working. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026 For fixes other tenants would normally make themselves, like changing a lightbulb, Ruby would call down June’s husband to act as a handyman. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2026 Ming opened up her fourth floor window and called down to the firefighters below. — Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for call down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for call down

Verb

Historically, the United States has sent mixed messages to Europeans, encouraging them to step up but then scolding them for seeking autonomy.

— JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
In fact, during testing, the handheld triggered nostalgic memories of playing Final Fantasy Legend and Mario Land 2 on long car rides to my grandparents' house, but without the eye strain and being scolded for playing in the dark as the sun set.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of scold

Verb

Luann patiently attempts to explain that the women don’t like being lectured to about their business affairs, only for Vicki to abruptly answer a phone call mid-conversation.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Robert Pozen, who lectures at MIT Sloan School of Management and was formerly president of Fidelity Investments, has an answer to the obvious question about who inspects this.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of lecture

Verb

Judge William Sullivan declined to declare a mistrial but sharply reprimanded the prosecution and told the jury to disregard Heilbrun’s statements on Clancy’s faith.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
The lawsuit says the officer was reprimanded and removed from further field training of Wadell.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of reprimand

Verb

Heaping credit onto Espada is dangerous, but so is blaming him for every game that goes awry.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
That war ended in a humiliating defeat by an enemy regarded as much weaker, and many tsarist officials blamed the outcome on Japanese spies and saboteurs.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of blame

Verb

The move came days after Stephens publicly criticized EMCC and Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference leadership over changes to the league’s football schedule and playoff format.

— Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also defended the decision to increase bond purchases earlier last month, after investor Stanley Druckenmiller criticized the move.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of criticize

Browse Nearby Words

callbacks

call down

called

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“Call down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20down. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of call down

verb

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