excoriate

verb

ek-ˈskȯr-ē-ˌāt How to pronounce excoriate (audio)
Definition of excoriatenext
1
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly the mayor had hardly been in office for a month before she was being excoriated for problems of very long standing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to irritate
to make sore by continued rubbing the manacles had badly excoriated the prisoner's wrists

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 excoriate Outspoken actor and comedian Michael Rapaport excoriated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a Jewish gathering outside of Gracie Mansion on Friday. — Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 After reviewing a transcript of the scene provided by The Hollywood Reporter, two prominent American Muslim advocacy groups excoriated the film’s depiction of Islam. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 Terence Tao, a renowned mathematician and leading authority on differential equations, excoriated what AI was doing to the field. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026 Hanaway’s application caps off a day of anger for Missouri Republicans who spent much of Friday excoriating the state Supreme Court’s decision. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excoriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriate
  1. attack
  2. irritate
  3. scold
  4. slam
  5. criticize
  6. insult
Verb
  • Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Electrons can then leak out of the chain, bonding with oxygen in the wrong parts of the mitochondria to form highly reactive free radicals that attack and deform neighboring molecules.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Verb
  • Some develop in varicose veins; others form where a needle or IV has irritated a vein.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • So testing a movie that temporarily sounds irritating is really, really hard.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • By the time his daughter shows up, flanked by her mom and upright dentist stepdad, Lee’s moved on from scolding the room to thanking his mother for believing him.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • District of Columbia Judge Ana Reyes angrily scolded government attorneys in a hearing to block the government from cutting down more trees at East Potomac Golf Course.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of scold
Verb
  • Modeling work suggests the duo will keep orbiting our star for millions of years before ultimately slamming into either Earth or Venus.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Kim Bruno Espinosa slammed ICE at the press conference and accused the agency of misidentifying the man with Parra.
    — Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of slam
Verb
  • Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, criticized the state's election officials for not cooperating with the department's demands.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But others criticized the tactics used and family separations.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticize
Verb
  • Respect for people, respect for property, and therefore a commitment not to insult or destroy.
    — Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Morgan is insulted, and the scene takes a turn for the cliché.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult

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excommunications
excoriate
excoriated
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“Excoriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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