Reprimand (4,3) Crossword Clue
Answer: BALL OUT (7 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Reprimand (4,3)" with 7 letters is "BALL OUT". Bawl means “to shout loudly,” so “bawl out” = reprimand/scold someone loudly—perfectly matching the definition and the 4–3 enumeration. The near-homophone “ball” causes a common spelling slip, but only bawl out carries the “reprimand” sense (e.g., “The coach bawled out the player for being late”).
Why “Ball Out” Fits
The clue “reprimand (4,3)” points to the phrase BALL OUT.
- Primary keyword: Ball out means to scold, rebuke, or reprimand someone sternly—usually for misbehavior, mistakes, or breaking rules. In casual English and especially in some dialects, “ball out” is a variant of “bawl out,” both indicating a forceful verbal chastisement.
- Immediate answer: In crosswords, “ball out” works as an accepted idiomatic phrase and direct fill for short, multi-word clues about verbal discipline or correction.
The phrase fits both the word count and the emotional intensity needed for “reprimand.”
- LSI keywords: scold, rebuke, bawl out, admonish, upbraid, berate, lecture, chastise.
- Usage examples:
- “The coach balled out the player for missing practice.”
- “He was balled out by his manager after the error on the report.”
- Synonyms: Bawl out, berate, tell off, reprimand, dress down.
- Formal vs slang: “Bawl out” is more common and formal, but “ball out” appears in informal, especially spoken, contexts or as a regional spelling
- Other uses: “Ball out” also has alternate meanings in sports (to play well) or partying, but in the context of reprimand, it’s equivalent to “scold” or “lecture harshly”
