1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
castigated him for his constant tardiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
a newspaper editorial castigating the city council for approving the project in the first place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to punish
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
a judge who believes in castigating criminals to the full extent of the law
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of castigate
Payne also castigated the department for failing to provide any of the documents that lawmakers had requested on June 3.
—
Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2025
History will castigate their cultish devotion to Trump far worse than any of Newsom’s attempts to counter that scourge.
—Gustavo Arellano, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
The big headline from the rescissions effort is that the government will cut off funds to PBS and NPR, which Republicans have long castigated as having a liberal agenda.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 18 July 2025
Each regime, from the Pahlavi dynasty to the Islamic Republic, claimed to uphold human rights and castigated its predecessors as torturers, only to ratchet up the incarceration of political opponents.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2025
History will castigate their cultish devotion to Trump far worse than any of Newsom’s attempts to counter that scourge.
—Gustavo Arellano, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
The big headline from the rescissions effort is that the government will cut off funds to PBS and NPR, which Republicans have long castigated as having a liberal agenda.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 18 July 2025
Each regime, from the Pahlavi dynasty to the Islamic Republic, claimed to uphold human rights and castigated its predecessors as torturers, only to ratchet up the incarceration of political opponents.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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Rachel Dratch scolded Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz for laughing while rehearsing the original Debbie Downer sketch on Saturday Night Live.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
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There, she is repeatedly scolded, first by a testy parking attendant (Mark Stolzenberg), and then by a doctor (Bronstein), who warns Linda of consequences if her daughter doesn’t soon reach her target weight of fifty pounds.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And if Klopp felt the benefits of turning throw-ins into choreographed events, complete with long build-ups, would be outweighed in Liverpool’s case by a loss of attacking impetus, is there not something to be said for that?—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Officers found people trying to attack police cruisers with fireworks, cones, poles and other items.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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About 1 in 7 American companies has punished employees over social media comments related to Kirk’s killing.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Oct. 2025
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Obsess Over Concept-to-Execution Speed – The market punishes slow thinkers.—
Erik Huberman,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To this end, Cucinelli urged the independent players to tap into the online commerce without betraying their identity of exclusivity and desirability, subtly reprimanding those who embraced the gray market outright.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
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Turnage was not disciplined or reprimanded in connection with the investigation, according to the lawsuit.—
Miami Herald,
Boston Herald,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Since leaving the British royal family in 2020 and stepping down from their roles as senior members of The Firm, Harry and Meghan have faced backlash for their media ventures and transition into Hollywood, with many criticizing the couple’s lack of views on their Netflix content.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
12 Oct. 2025
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Beijing has long criticized Washington for exerting control beyond its borders through export rules that bar third-country companies from supplying China with chips made using American technology.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Augusta was a devout Christian who often lectured the Bible to her sons and blamed alcohol and women for the evils of the world, per the outlet.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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Clarke and his business partner sold photographs and films, wrote and lectured about their adventures, and began treasure hunting.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Swart also blamed major social-media platforms for monetizing outrage and accelerating polarization.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
12 Oct. 2025
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Peart is certainly not the only one to blame for Denver’s putrid offensive effort, which included a trio of three-and-outs and a safety — on Quinn Meinerz for holding in the end zone — among the team’s first four drives of the second half.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jamal Nazzal, a spokesperson for the Palestinian political and nationalist movement Fatah, slammed Marzouk’s remarks.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
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Kitchen cabinets get a lot of wear since they’re constantly being opened, slammed, and bumped all day long.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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