| Clue | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Angrily rebuke | Thomas Joseph | 14 May 2024 |
| Read the riot act | LA Times Daily | 03 Nov 2020 |
| Read the riot act | The Washington Post | 03 Nov 2020 |
| Scold and then some | New York Times | 26 Aug 2017 |
| Tear into | New York Times | 03 Feb 2017 |
| Tear into | ||
| Scold and then some | ||
| Give a tongue-lashing to | Wall Street Journal | 02 Sep 2016 |
| Castigate | New York Times | 25 Jan 2015 |
| Castigate | ||
| Come down hard on | ||
| Come down hard on | ||
| Berate | ||
| Dress down | ||
| Tear into | ||
| Tear into | ||
| Scold severely | ||
| Scold harshly | ||
| Scold severely, in slang | ||
| Scold severely, in slang | ||
| Excoriate | ||
| Excoriate severely | ||
| Clean a pipe |