take somebody to task

Small children took him to task for acting in a way even they looked down on.

He would not have taken them to task if they had.

Well, I'm not going to take you to task for your past successes.

Why would they take her to task about that, though?

"Are you taking me to task because I did not finish what we began?"

He was probably going to take her to task for being so harsh on the students.

She would be taken to task if someone were to notice and make use of it.

The show is sometimes taken to task for its length.

Regional and local officials have been taken to task for this.

How often Mary had taken him to task for that.