To severely criticize or condemn someone harshly; or to scrape or wear away the skin, causing it to become raw.
Third person singular present of 'excoriate,' derived from Latin 'excoriare' (ex- + corium, meaning 'skin'). The metaphorical use for verbal criticism became the more common modern usage.
Modern political commentators use 'excoriates' constantly—it's the verb journalists reach for when someone delivers a devastating criticism that goes beyond polite disagreement.
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