rake over the coals

verb

To call to task or to reprimand severely.

“She raked him over the coals for lying to her.”

Similar
haul someone over the coals
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Meanings

verbrake over the coals (third-person singular simple present rakes over the coals, present participle raking over the coals, simple past and past participle raked over the coals)

present singular third person rakes over the coals · participle present raking over the coals · participle past raked over the coals · past raked over the coals

  1. idiomaticTo call to task or to reprimand severely.

    She raked him over the coals for lying to her.

    Synonyms: haul someone over the coals

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo call to task or to reprimand severely.

Similar
haul someone over the coals
Also see
haul someone over the coalstear a strip off someone

Origin

The earliest example given is from 1565: "S. Augustine, that knewe best how to fetche an heretike ouer the coles." (OED). From the practice of dragging or raking heretics over coals performed by the Catholic Church as a form of torture.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

rake over the coals. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rake%20over%20the%20coals

MLA

“rake over the coals.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rake%20over%20the%20coals. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rake over the coals,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rake%20over%20the%20coals.

Source: rake over the coals on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.