lambaste
verb
-ˈbast
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The origins of lambaste (which can also be spelled lambast) are somewhat uncertain, but the word was most likely formed by combining the verbs lam and baste, both of which mean “to beat severely.” (This baste is unrelated to either the sewing or cooking one.) Although lambaste started out in the 1600s meaning “to assault violently,” English speakers were by the 1800s applying it in cases involving harsh attacks made with words rather than fists. This new sense clearly struck a chord; after fighting its way into the lexicon, lambaste has held fast ever since.
Synonyms
Examples of lambaste in a Sentence
Justine Calma, The Verge, 3 May 2024
Fans immediately and aggressively lambasted the move, calling it a slap in the face to viewers and citing the recent Rooster Teeth shutdown as an example of why this model is doomed to fail.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 1 May 2024
Republican lawmakers have for months lambasted elite schools over a surge in pro-Palestinian protests that have sparked sporadic incidents of violence against Jewish students.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Apr. 2024
Arizona’s current senators — outgoing independent Kyrsten Sinema and Democrat Mark Kelly — lambasted the decision for endangering women’s health and pressuring doctors.
—Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
As business boomed, advocates lambasted the industry for its practices.
—Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 21 Mar. 2024
The pricey Fox acquisition, while lambasted by Peltz and others, gave Disney a programming arsenal to support its streaming ambitions.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
The government lambasted the farmers for failing to contain violent elements that threw e-bikes off a bridge and set the entry to a subway station aflame.
—Raf Casert, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024
If members of Congress have concerns about personnel policy in the Pentagon, there are ways to address it other than publicly lambasting senior military leaders—such as by exercising their regular oversight responsibilities through committees tasked with monitoring the armed forces.
—Risa Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lambaste.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lambaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lambaste. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
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lambaste
verb
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