as in scolding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in speaking (to or with)
to communicate with by means of spoken words
I had never talked to a real live cowboy before
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 talking-to
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 Jan. 2025
Roberts pulled the reliever in, gave him what seemed like a fatherly talking-to, and – after Ramirez got out of the inning with the very next pitch – noted that sometimes the best course is not to yell and scream at a player.
—Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 30 May 2024
Noun
Never underestimate the combined powers of a Liv Benson talking-to and a New York slice.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 Jan. 2025
Roberts pulled the reliever in, gave him what seemed like a fatherly talking-to, and – after Ramirez got out of the inning with the very next pitch – noted that sometimes the best course is not to yell and scream at a player.
—Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 30 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking-to
Noun
-
The meeting had been overshadowed by the extraordinary scolding.—
Brian Melley and Emma Burrows,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
-
From her sharp scolding of a student nurse to her own tears of self-recrimination, Floria is a full-blooded and beautifully etched character and, yes, a heroine.—
Sheri Linden,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
That earned him a gentle lecture from his mom about Michelle, and women in general, not being his property.—
Mara Wilson,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2025
-
It’s become common to see Self lecture Storr about his defense on the sideline.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This is the grim lesson—one that the ambitious sycophants who attach themselves to power have always been slow to learn—of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall Trilogy, a series of fat, dense novels that filter the reign of Henry VIII through the rise and fall of his Machiavellian advisor, Thomas Cromwell.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
-
If there’s one lesson that Elson most wants to impress upon her daughter?—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In other words, if the board finds the union does not represent the players, especially without substantively addressing the legal question of whether the players are employees within the meaning of the NLRA, the matter would likely end there.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Any partnership or sponsorship agreement must include specific provisions addressing TikTok unavailability.—
Ian Shepherd,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Meanwhile, tensions between Washington and Kyiv have risen to a boiling point, culminating in a spectacular public dressing-down of Ukraine’s Zelenskyy last Friday by U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Nine goals, a 30-minute hat-trick, an unlikely comeback, a last-gasp winner, comedic errors and a dressing-down on the pitch at full-time, all played out in teeming rain in Lisbon, made this a night to remember.—
Tim Spiers,
The Athletic,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The firm warns Trump’s punishments of firms could diminish the independence of lawyers and force them to embrace viewpoints of whichever group happens to hold governmental power.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in Davis' case, which is now moving on to the punishment phase.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The curved silicone brush ensures that each and every lash — even the finest ones near the inner corners of your eyes — are coated in pigments for a fluttery effect sans clumps.—
Claire Sullivan,
Footwear News,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The exaggerated lashes—three pairs of falsies on top and a bottom row drawn on in eyeliner—came from an unexpected source.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Schiff’s statement about his U.S. boycott was unequivocal in its admonition of current America politics.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2025
-
At a lengthy hearing in 2021, a judge gave him a stern admonition but declined to send him back to jail.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Talking-to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking-to. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share