as in to scold
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 keelhaul
And other than a recession, which generally keelhauls buyback plans, don’t expect companies to ease off their repurchases.
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Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keelhaul
Verb
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But after one more chuckle, Julia jumps in and scolds her too.Abigail Adams, People.com, 5 Jan. 2025
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Copied Share Laughter as Putin appears to scold the moderator Keir Simmons Reporting from Moscow Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov who is moderating the conference scolded people for asking more than one question, only to be mildly mocked by Putin.NBC News, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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At one point, when Mr. Mastro raised his hand to make a point after his time had expired, Judge Gordon reprimanded him swiftly.Tracey Tully, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
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BoF interviewed 14 current and former Lululemon employees, who claimed they were passed over for promotions, reprimanded and in some cases, unjustifiably fired.Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Buffett has been lecturing on inflation in his shareholder letters since the 1960s and his strategy has never changed (much to the advantage of his shareholders).James Berman, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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Tucker Carlson, the Trump acolyte and former Fox News presenter, visits Moscow, where he is granted a two-hour interview with Vladimir Putin, most of which consists of Carlson being lectured on Russian history.The Week UK, theweek, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As suggested in the comments, the dryer could be to blame too.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
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His individual performances, with a few exceptions, were to blame along with the Jets’ circumstances and a cap on the 41-year-old’s potential.Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near keelhaul
Cite this Entry
“Keelhaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhaul. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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