as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to keelhaul him—it was an honest mistake, and a small one at that
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Recent Examples of keelhaul
And other than a recession, which generally keelhauls buyback plans, don’t expect companies to ease off their repurchases.
—
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
To hell with a class action suit, these people should have been keelhauled under the Staten Island Ferry for a year.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 25 Oct. 2017
Larry Light, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2019
The threat posed by the AT&T-Time Warner merger is all the greater today because of the Trump administration’s initiative in keelhauling network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission.
—Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 12 June 2018
To hell with a class action suit, these people should have been keelhauled under the Staten Island Ferry for a year.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 25 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keelhaul
Verb
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Today's top stories President Trump scolded Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday after Russia launched a deadly strike on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
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That, in the end, is the heart of the spectacle of Noem’s militaristic videos and Leavitt’s scolding and lies.—
Constance Grady,
Vox,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Doctor, who has clearly been keeping tabs on Earth, brings Conrad into the TARDIS to reprimand him for betraying Ruby and using people’s fears and insecurity for his own gain.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
3 May 2025
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The vote to reprimand Vaughn was 6-1, with Vaughn in opposition.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In an extraordinary break between the two allies, Trump lectured Zelensky on his weak position in negotiations and in the war.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
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This resilience makes Zelensky’s bristling at being lectured by Vance on his nation’s sacrifice and peril easier to understand.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In October, the gang was blamed for killing more than 70 people in Pont-Sondé, the biggest massacre in Haiti’s recent history.—
Dánica Coto,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
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Economists are clashing over whether the $20 wage is to blame.—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keelhaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keelhaul. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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