chew out

verb

Definition of chew outnext
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings the coach chews out even the stars of the team if they fail to show up for practice

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 chew out Kittens chew to relieve teething discomfort, while adult cats may chew out of boredom, stress or habit. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026 It was widely reported that team president Masai Ujiri went into Casey’s office after Game 3 to chew out the coach for not preparing his team better to defend James’ memorable game-winner over OG Anunoby, who is now a Knick. — Eric Koreen, New York Times, 27 May 2026 The episode ends with Kyle’s mom chewing out Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his actions in the ongoing war. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025 About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chew out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chew out
  1. scold
  2. lecture
  3. reprimand
  4. blame
  5. criticize
  6. bawl out
  7. 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
Verb
  • Trippier and Burn are organisers and not afraid to bawl out their team-mates.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Women stopped to bawl out the police, who accepted this dressing-down with quiet embarrassment.
    — National Geographic, National Geographic, 11 Aug. 2020
Definition of bawl out
Verb
  • This year, the irrigators began calling down water on July 1, boosting flows in the Colorado River.
    — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 July 2026
  • Armed with a name, Polyphemus is able to call down his father’s wrath on Odysseus.
    — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2026
Definition of call down

Browse Nearby Words

chew on
chew out
chew over
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Cite this Entry

“Chew out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chew%20out. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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