rebuked

verb

past tense of rebuke
1
as in admonished
to criticize (someone) so as to correct a fault the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college

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2
as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reprimanded
to express public or formal disapproval of in a rare move, the state's supreme court rebuked the governor for trying to circumvent one of its recent rulings

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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 rebuked The Iranian president also rebuked colleagues who have opposed a peace deal. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026 One night earlier in the tour, a woman Usher had brought onstage rebuked him, which embarrassed him. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026 Police have rebuked their concerns that local surveillance data could be shared with federal agencies for immigration enforcement purposes. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Hall also rebuked Laster for contacting a co-defendant after their indictment. — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 At a news conference Wednesday, Wahab rebuked Mohan’s statements. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 The president, who has long insisted that someone maliciously vandalized the lining of the pool with a knife or boxcutter, first rebuked Pirro's decision to drop the Hearn case in a Saturday social media post. — Emily Chang, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 But many Republicans rebuked the idea of his arrest - including the president himself. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 July 2026 And then legislators who had supported them were ousted in the state’s May primaries, rebuked by the pro-voucher governor and then by voters who sided with candidates the governor had backed. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuked
  1. admonished
  2. scolded
  3. reprimanded
  4. criticized
  5. lectured
  6. censured
  7. blamed
  8. condemned
Verb
  • All persons having business before this honorable court are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the court is now sitting.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Some speakers admonished the county commission for shooting down the moratorium proposal.
    — Gabriel Brito, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of admonished
Verb
  • 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
  • For over a year, the White House has scolded and threatened the Smithsonian.
    — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of scolded
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 reprimanded
Verb
  • Some parties, including wildfire survivors and some lawmakers that represent fire-scarred districts, had criticized his accountability measures as too loose.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But the union representing former Spirit flight attendants has criticized the carrier for selling the data.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticized
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
  • We’re also lectured early on that Cole is a chess master, but his alleged intelligence never pays off.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of lectured
Verb
  • Minneola City Councilman David Yeager’s efforts to annex his new home into the city earlier this summer sparked a nasty debate on the council that led to two members being censured last week for incivility.
    — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The House Ethics Committee handed down its recommendation that Edwards be censured earlier this month, and his peers are expected to vote on the suggestion in the coming days.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of censured
Verb
  • That followed an increase over the summer from $599, which Apple blamed on memory costs.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Lopez’s family didn’t buy the story and blamed Elias, who was never charged in Lopez’s death.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of blamed
Verb
  • The mainly movie channel ventured into original programming with the tale of a Thracian soldier who is condemned to fight in Rome's gladiatorial arenas, only to become a champion and vow to bring down the Empire.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Rights groups condemned the executions and questioned the trials.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of condemned

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Cite this Entry

“Rebuked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuked. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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