haul someone over the coals

Verb

Meaning

haul someone over the coals (third-person singular simple present hauls someone over the coals, present participle hauling someone over the coals, simple past and past participle hauled someone over the coals)

(chiefly UK, idiomatic) To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.
The teacher hauled him over the coals for not doing his homework.

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Synonyms

scold berate tell off rake over the coals tear a strip off someone tear someone a new one read someone the riot act rake someone over the coals tear someone a new asshole pull someone over the coals tell someone off give someone a dressing down give someone a telling off

Close letter words and terms

haul out haul over the coals haul somebody over the coals haul tail haul up haul video