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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The Senate hauled Live Nation’s president and CFO in for a public scolding.Allison Morrow, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
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The New York Times reported that Hegseth’s mother had sent him an email scolding him for abusing women.Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Lawmakers also made calls for the House Ethics Committee to look into the matter and demanded that Higgins be formally reprimanded. 2024 Presidential Election:When is the vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance?Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
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The Democratic chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee reprimanded the heads of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security for failing to appear for an annual hearing.Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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We’re either lectured on the history of our own struggle, or appealed to with dire fearmongering and empty promises while our cries fall on deaf ears.Derrick Johnson, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
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An increasingly jealous Seth Rollins lectured Sami Zayn about teaming with Roman Reigns after both of them worked so hard to end the Bloodline.Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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President-elect Donald Trump called for nonintervention in Syria, blaming the escalating situation on former President Barack Obama.Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Dec. 2024
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TikTok has denied the allegations against it or blamed actions on individual bad actors within the company.Alison Durkee, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near keelhaul
Cite this Entry
“Keelhaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhaul. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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