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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Omari Hardwick scolded an interviewer who misquoted him in a seeming attempt to stir up drama between the actor and Power producer 50 Cent.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
20 Mar. 2025 -
On Wednesday, the couple jokingly addressed the awkward interview in which Hilaria scolded Alec for interrupting her during a red carpet moment that has since gone viral.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
Fox News,
20 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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Striking that right balance between dressy and dressed down is certainly an art—but luckily there’s a handful of celebrities who’ve recently nailed the look.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2025
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Dylan Efron dressed down to set the record straight.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
6 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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Last month, an ICE supervisor in Charlotte blamed McFadden when a Honduran national charged with domestic violence walked free.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Mar. 2025
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In social media posts, Kennedy has largely blamed obesity on seed oils—a claim that nutrition experts dispute.—
Perri Ormont Blumberg,
TIME,
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 28 Mar. 2025.
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