1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
castigated him for his constant tardiness
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of castigate
Nowhere is this more evident than in Sudan, where critics castigate the UAE’s backing of the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary faction accused of genocide in the country’s civil war.
—
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Rather than confronting Scrooge with things beyond his human comprehension — immutable calm, boundless generosity, pitiless void — all three spirits simply end up castigating him.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
At the same time, the barrage of vitriol unleashed by China castigating Takaichi as a warmongering militarist includes a reprehensible threat by the Chinese consul-general in Osaka about beheading Takaichi.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
Trump has castigated European allies, particularly Denmark, for doing too little to protect the region.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Rather than confronting Scrooge with things beyond his human comprehension — immutable calm, boundless generosity, pitiless void — all three spirits simply end up castigating him.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
At the same time, the barrage of vitriol unleashed by China castigating Takaichi as a warmongering militarist includes a reprehensible threat by the Chinese consul-general in Osaka about beheading Takaichi.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
Trump has castigated European allies, particularly Denmark, for doing too little to protect the region.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2026
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But the Commission's chairman, Brendan Carr, scolded Amazon last week, saying the company should focus on its own satellite efforts, rather than criticize SpaceX.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The American always had the engine and work rate to flit between defensive and attacking duties in a central midfield berth.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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Santos and Langdon both attack things pretty head on.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Confederation of African Football overturned Senegal’s one-goal victory over tournament hosts Morocco following the latter’s appeal, citing rules that punish a team that abandons an ongoing football match for more than 10 minutes.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
18 Mar. 2026
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In the most ironic misalignment, the industry celebrates the myth of the lone auteur and then punishes anyone who actually tries to be one.—
Daren Smith,
IndieWire,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rogers, reportedly to the shock of those in attendance, backed up Microsoft by criticizing the work of the auditors.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Mar. 2026
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Lee criticized the failure of Bondi's DOJ to take new action against Epstein associates, even as the United Kingdom has made arrests based on information in the latest releases of files.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Phillips then allegedly rushed the officer, wrapped his arms around him and lifted him off the ground before slamming him onto the pavement, leaving the officer with a concussion and a head laceration.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
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Jezero is the crash site of an asteroid that slammed into Mars’s surface almost four billion years ago.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Joanna Fabicon, who has lectured on contemporary children’s literature at UCLA, added that educators, librarians and publishers must all grapple with the allegations against Chávez and decide how to move forward.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
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Thiel has previously written and lectured on the subject, arguing that the Antichrist is not necessarily a person but could come as a global government system.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The situation reached a breaking point when Sullivan started mocking and insulting Morgan’s wife, the journalist and author Celia Walden.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
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The walkout followed HStikkytokky, real name Harrison Sullivan, insulting Morgan’s wife and making false allegations about the presenter’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s part of it, sometimes, but multiple girls do that this week and then get reprimanded for not having enough family resemblance.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2026
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In footage that circulated on social media after Sunday's telecast, the 35-year-old Best Supporting Actress nominee and recording artist was shown reprimanding someone off camera while others stepped between them.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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