lambaste

verb

(ˌ)lam-ˈbāst How to pronounce lambaste (audio)
variants or lambast
Definition of lambastenext
1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings the director lambasted them mercilessly for forgetting their lines during the final dress rehearsal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly movie critics across the country lambasted the film for its contrived plot

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly like all westerns, this movie contains the requisite scene of saloon patrons lambasting each other

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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 lambaste After replaying Colbert’s Emmy acceptance speech, Kimmel playfully lambasted his friend for giving a sweet paean to his wife, Evie, which made all the other late night hosts look bad with their own wives. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 Charlotte leaders on Monday lambasted the state as a bad faith partner but indicated the financial pressure campaign might be an insurmountable obstacle. — Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026 But the power struggle inside the Supreme Court has also caused damage to the institution itself, with critics lambasting the chaos shaking the institution to its core. — Mauricio Savarese, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026 Supervisors agreed with public comments lambasting the acts of ICE. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lambaste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lambaste
  1. scold
  2. attack
  3. lick
  4. criticize
  5. slam
  6. hide
  7. lecture
  8. insult
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
  • 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
  • Popo would lick her cone ever so gracefully, never dripping or messing up the lining of her magenta lipstick.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Teams have to be licking their chops after seeing what Tampa Bay did to Dallas last Thursday night, especially considering the defense (or lack thereof) that the Cowboys have shown through five weeks.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lick
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
  • 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
  • In an indirect prompt injection, an attacker hides instructions in content an AI agent will come across while doing a task—a web page or a forum post, for instance—hoping to hijack the agent.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Many senior Democrats blamed her, along with the rest of the family and his close aides, for hiding his condition.
    — Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • Earhart lectured at the school before embarking on her final flight.
    — News Editor, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Driving around the region to lecture and guide tours, his travel costs have soared and led him to raise his prices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of lecture
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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lamb
lambaste
lambasted
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Cite this Entry

“Lambaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lambaste. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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