1. to haul (a person) under the keel of a ship as a punishment or torture
Usage: nautical; historical; past tense and past participle of keelhaul
2. to criticize or reprimand severely
Usage: informal; figurative

Examples

• The mutineer was keelhauled as punishment for his crime.
• The captain keelhauled the sailor for neglecting his duties.
• She was keelhauled by her boss for missing the deadline.
• The team was keelhauled in the media after their poor performance.
• He keelhauled his employees during the meeting for their careless mistakes.