verb
ream
To rebuke someone severely.
The coach reams out the players for ignoring his instructions.
Etymology
The forceful reprimand sense draws on ream as vigorous clearing or scraping. The phrase ream out figuratively subjects someone to the same harsh treatment.
More examples
- My manager reamed me for missing the deadline.
- She is reaming out the contractor over the unfinished repairs.
- You don't need to ream him out over one mistake.
Forms
ream · reams · reamed · reaming