as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
we could hear the cook in the kitchen railing against his assistant and wondered if we'd ever get our food
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rail (at or against)
Verb
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According to Smith, James, who approached him in the third quarter during a timeout, scolded him for his commentary regarding his son and teammate, Bronny James.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
12 Mar. 2025 -
Michelle Obama playfully scolded her husband, Barack Obama, on her new podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Vance, who lectures U.S. allies about how to run their affairs, reminds us of every rich guy from suburban Pittsburgh who visits the Amalfi Coast in the summer, drives up the pedestrianized streets, and then complains that the pasta is too chewy and there’s no AC in his 15th-century villa.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
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Obama himself had to lecture black men testily about the need to turn out for Harris, suggesting their reluctance was due to sexism, but Biden’s numbers with this demographic were worse.—
W. James Antle III,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The controversy is intensifying, with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts having now publicly reprimanded the president after a social media post in which Trump called for the impeachment of Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. — the ...—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
19 Mar. 2025
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At the time, the House of Representatives, with the Democrats holding the majority, voted to reprimand Wilson, who later issued an apology to Obama.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Four security guards were called down, and the employee ultimately left.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
10 Mar. 2025
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Trail Cams Go To War Trail Cams could be used like the sensors in Igloo White, to call down attacks on logistics vehicles by FPV drones.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This was heightened by the extraordinary dressing down Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelensky in his recent Oval Office visit and an apparent rapprochement between the White House and the Kremlin.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
9 Mar. 2025
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In This Week’s Issue REVERSE-NIXON Might Donald Trump’s public dressing down of Volodymyr Zelensky have been intended to repair relations with Russia and put China on their back foot, Richard Nixon–style?—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But to chew out his boss--Edwin Stanton, secretary of war--would be more than just getting close to the line of insubordination.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
12 Feb. 2025
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There’s also a story line of Harper being chewed out by Petra when Petra finds out how Harper actually got the information necessary to short Pierpoint, i.e., illegally.—
Nina Li Coomes,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2024
Verb
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The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza blamed the Israeli military, which denied targeting the compound.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
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Asked for comment on Musk’s remarks and proof that immigrants living in the United States without legal status were to blame for the fraud, the White House didn’t offer any.—
Jane C. Timm,
NBC News,
19 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rail (at or against).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rail%20%28at%20or%20against%29. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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