Criticize harshly Crossword Clue
Looking for the answer to “Criticize harshly” from the Washington Post Sunday crossword of August 2, 2026? It has 5 letters. Flip the tiles one at a time, try a hint first, or look through the rest of that puzzle.
Crossword answer
WASHINGTON POST SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2026
Tap a tile to see one letter, or show the whole answer.
LAMBASTE is the answer to “Criticize harshly”. It means to beat severely.
Hints
Three clues to the answer, gentle first. Open one at a time.
Hint 1 Meaning
To beat severely.
Hint 2 Anagram
Its letters, scrambled: AAEMSLBT.
Hint 3 Another clue
It starts with L and ends with E.
More clues from the Washington Post Sunday (August 2, 2026)
Across
- 1. "Sesame Street" network3 letters, starts with PPBS
- 4. "To adorn a stately lady / ___ her hour went by": Julia Ward Howe3 letters, starts with EERE
- 7. League for 16 Down3 letters, starts with NNBA
- 10. "I believe," initially3 letters, starts with IIMO
- 13. Period that may be named for an administration3 letters, starts with EERA
- 14. Main ways in10 letters, starts with FFRONTDOORS
- 18. Animal offering the philosophy "as you travel life's highway, don't forget to stop and eat the roses" in a "Far Side" comic3 letters, starts with CCOW
- 19. Man's name that can follow "Aa" to make another man's name3 letters, starts with RRON
- 20. Federal system that includes the Bundestag12 letters, starts with GGERMANGOVERNMENT
- 22. Line on a GPS unit3 letters, starts with AAVE
- 23. People getting up late?6 letters, starts with UUNDEAD
- 25. Means of going from red to blue, say6 letters, starts with DDYEJOB
- 26. Hot off the press?6 letters, starts with IIRONED
- 28. Those who may preach about fire and brimstone7 letters, starts with ZZEALOTS
- 30. Erudite sorts7 letters, starts with SSAVANTS
- 32. Amalfi automaker7 letters, starts with FFERRARI
- 33. "When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the ___" (Herman Hupfeld song)4 letters, starts with TTUBA
- 37. Process, as a photo7 letters, starts with DDEVELOP
- 39. Word omitted from the NHL team name Vegas Golden Knights3 letters, starts with LLAS
- 40. State bird that serves as an American League East team's mascot12 letters, starts with BBALTIMOREORIOLE
- 43. Fertilization targets3 letters, starts with OOVA
- 44. Ancient marketplace5 letters, starts with AAGORA
- 46. Spanish word for "white"6 letters, starts with BBLANCO
- 47. "The Sun Also ___"5 letters, starts with RRISES
- 49. It covers crime and punishment9 letters, starts with PPENALCODE
- 52. Those selling snake oil9 letters, starts with HHUCKSTERS
- 55. Decked out4 letters, starts with CCLAD
- 56. Metamorphic deposits, at times4 letters, starts with OORES
- 57. Manufactured4 letters, starts with MMADE
- 60. Getting to first base at an MLB game, say?3 letters, starts with PPDA
- 62. "Binary" singer DiFranco3 letters, starts with AANI
- 63. Padlock fastener4 letters, starts with HHASP
- 67. Stunning swimmers9 letters, starts with EELECTRICEELS
- 70. This is getting old!9 letters, starts with OOBSOLESCENCE
- 72. What you often use for chewing the fat5 letters, starts with MMOLAR
- 73. Spells8 letters, starts with RRELIEVES
- 76. Fanatic's feeling5 letters, starts with AARDOR
- 77. Lure into lawbreaking6 letters, starts with EENTRAP
- 79. What benzoyl peroxide treats4 letters, starts with AACNE
- 80. Welcomes with a wave, say6 letters, starts with GGREETS
- 81. "The House in the Cerulean ___" (2020 fantasy novel by TJ Klune)3 letters, starts with SSEA
- 82. Designed something that became too powerful to control, à la Frankenstein12 letters, starts with CCREATEDAMONSTER
- 87. Office address abbr.3 letters, starts with SSTE
- 88. "Dark Winds" network3 letters, starts with AAMC
- 89. Member of an avian parliament3 letters, starts with OOWL
- 90. Representatives promoting the values and traditions of their communities16 letters, starts with CCULTURALAMBASSADORS
- 100. Not available at the moment4 letters, starts with BBUSY
- 101. Ruled writing tablet8 letters, starts with LLEGALPAD
- 102. Where you'll find lions and tigers and bears4 letters, starts with ZZOOS
- 104. Nation that became the first African republic after declaring independence in 18477 letters, starts with LLIBERIA
- 106. Site of a nine-month journey in 2024 for Omar Nok4 letters, starts with AASIA
- 107. Enticed7 letters, starts with DDRAWNIN
- 110. Accepted blame without complaint7 letters, starts with AATEDIRT
- 111. Minute, in childspeak4 letters, starts with IITSY
- 112. "The Magnificent" in the House of Medici7 letters, starts with LLORENZO
- 113. Crash site?3 letters, starts with BBED
- 114. Central ___ ("Doja" rapper)3 letters, starts with CCEE
- 115. Safeguards for trapeze artists4 letters, starts with NNETS
- 116. "Was it a rat I saw?!"3 letters, starts with EEEK
- 117. Himalayan ___ (tree)3 letters, starts with YYEW
Down
- 1. Country where the soft drink Inca Kola was invented4 letters, starts with PPERU
- 2. Early metal period9 letters, starts with BBRONZEAGE
- 3. Brandon who wrote the Mistborn fantasy series9 letters, starts with SSANDERSON
- 4. Misspeak, e.g.3 letters, starts with EERR
- 5. Jupiter, Saturn, etc.5 letters, starts with RROMANGODS
- 6. Covetous person's sin4 letters, starts with EENVY
- 7. Prohibited act4 letters, starts with NNONO
- 8. Performs a disastrous stand-up routine5 letters, starts with BBOMBS
- 9. "We ___ not amused"3 letters, starts with AARE
- 10. "It's a lock!"9 letters, starts with IICANTLOSE
- 11. Scooches down, say9 letters, starts with MMOVESOVER
- 12. Was in debt4 letters, starts with OOWED
- 14. Hat worn by Indiana Jones or Freddy Krueger6 letters, starts with FFEDORA
- 15. Course prop3 letters, starts with TTEE
- 16. Sixers legend Julius Erving's nickname3 letters, starts with DDRJ
- 17. Whimper weakly6 letters, starts with SSNIVEL
- 20. Fancy shindig, redundantly8 letters, starts with GGALABALL
- 21. Go across8 letters, starts with TTRAVERSE
- 24. Prominent body part of a fennec fox3 letters, starts with EEAR
- 27. "A ..."3 letters, starts with OONE
- 29. "Open 9 ___ 5"3 letters, starts with TTIL
- 31. "And so, without further ___ ..."3 letters, starts with AADO
- 32. Put one's wings in motion4 letters, starts with FFLAP
- 33. Bathroom floor piece4 letters, starts with TTILE
- 34. Thurman who played G-Girl in "My Super Ex-Girlfriend"3 letters, starts with UUMA
- 35. Pertained to3 letters, starts with BBOREON
- 36. St. Louis has the tallest one in the world4 letters, starts with AARCH
- 38. "Hard ___" ("Hell no")4 letters, starts with PPASS
- 41. "Check back later" letters3 letters, starts with TTBD
- 42. Promise of repayment3 letters, starts with IIOU
- 45. Zipper?7 letters, starts with RRACECAR
- 48. "I've finally gotten my package!"7 letters, starts with IITSHERE
- 50. Whim4 letters, starts with CCAPRICE
- 51. More peculiar5 letters, starts with OODDER
- 53. Video game systems5 letters, starts with CCONSOLES
- 54. Bryant who won an MVP award while playing for the Cubs4 letters, starts with KKRIS
- 57. Images like "Distracted boyfriend" and "Surprised Pikachu"5 letters, starts with MMEMES
- 58. How a hermit lives5 letters, starts with AALONE
- 59. Letter before epsilon5 letters, starts with DDELTA
- 61. Guinness beverage3 letters, starts with AALE
- 62. "Honest" president3 letters, starts with AABE
- 64. Cotopaxi's mountain range5 letters, starts with AANDES
- 65. Ridley who directed "Gladiator" and "Gladiator II"5 letters, starts with SSCOTT
- 66. Intrinsically5 letters, starts with PPERSE
- 68. Sport ___ (former Ford pickup truck)4 letters, starts with TTRAC
- 69. Strip of wood4 letters, starts with SSLAT
- 70. Heater in one's house4 letters, starts with OOVEN
- 71. Kiss drummer Eric4 letters, starts with CCARR
- 74. Frozen blockage on a roof's edge or on a river3 letters, starts with IICEDAM
- 75. Brian of ambient music3 letters, starts with EENO
- 78. British blockhead4 letters, starts with PPRAT
- 80. Fix, as a horse4 letters, starts with GGELD
- 83. Act like7 letters, starts with EEMULATE
- 84. Farmland unit4 letters, starts with AACRE
- 85. Sammy who won an MVP award while playing for the Cubs4 letters, starts with SSOSA
- 86. Complete nonsense7 letters, starts with TTWADDLE
- 90. Turned 1,000 into 1,000,000,0005 letters, starts with CCUBED
- 91. Previously owned4 letters, starts with UUSED
- 92. Single line?5 letters, starts with LLYRIC
- 93. "This just keeps happening!"5 letters, starts with AAGAIN
- 94. Criticize harshly5 letters, starts with LLAMBASTE
- 95. Group of big stars5 letters, starts with AALIST
- 96. Fixes, as some dogs5 letters, starts with SSPAYS
- 97. Original ___ Folk Festival (annual event in Arkansas)5 letters, starts with OOZARK
- 98. ESPN sideline reporter Holly4 letters, starts with RROWE
- 99. Little lad's nickname5 letters, starts with SSONNY
- 100. With 103 Down, small enough to fit in one's mouth whole, like the words in six squares in this puzzle (take the first letters in those squares to spell out a fitting six-letter word)4 letters, starts with BBITE
- 103. See 100 Down4 letters, starts with SSIZE
- 104. Experimentation location3 letters, starts with LLAB
- 105. Furious state3 letters, starts with IIRE
- 108. Wade's opponent in a 1973 court case3 letters, starts with RROE
- 109. "Right this instant!"3 letters, starts with NNOW
Seen before
This clue also appeared in the Washington Post Sunday on June 8, 2025.
Fresh clues from recent puzzles
Questions
What is the answer to “Criticize harshly”?
LAMBASTE, 5 letters: to beat severely.
When was “Criticize harshly” last seen in a crossword?
In the Washington Post Sunday crossword of August 2, 2026, and 1 more time before that.
How many letters does the answer have?
5 letters, starting with L.