keelhaul
/ˈkiːlˌhɔːl/
verb
- To punish someone by dragging them under the keel of a ship, usually as a form of maritime discipline in the past.
- The pirate captain threatened to keelhaul any mutineer.
- Keelhauling was a brutal punishment that often caused serious injury or death.
- In the old days, captains would keelhaul sailors who disobeyed orders.
- To criticize or punish someone severely, often in a figurative sense.
- My coach keelhauled me for not showing up to practice.
- The boss keelhauled the team for missing the project deadline.
- After the scandal, the media keelhauled the politician in every headline.