rebuke
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Related Words
See reproach.
Other Word Forms
- rebukable adjective
- rebuker noun
- rebukingly adverb
- unrebukable adjective
- unrebuked adjective
Etymology
Origin of rebuke
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English rebuken (verb), from Anglo-French rebuker ( Old French rebuchier ) “to beat back,” equivalent to re- re- + bucher “to beat, strike,” from Germanic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Sora discontinuation is a rebuke to OpenAI’s previous strategy, which involved a dizzying array of product launches that created a complicated organizational structure and competing priorities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Bianco’s unusual probe drew a sharp rebuke from California Atty.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026
Was this a rebuke to Benjamin Netanyahu to consult more closely in the future?
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
Under its ownership, Prospect Medical Holdings, a hospital chain, faced plummeting quality metrics and a bipartisan rebuke from a U.S.
From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026
“Thank you!” said Mary Poppins, meaningly, but the Starling was too busy eating to notice the rebuke.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
