1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
castigated him for his constant tardiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
Indeed, Trump himself has openly castigated judges who have blocked his legally questionable actions.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Jail authorities criticized Leading prosecutors castigated authorities for the jailbreak.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2025
In late February, Mr. Zelensky met with the American president in Washington — a disastrous visit in which Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance castigated the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office for not being grateful enough for U.S. support, as journalists recorded the scene.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 15 May 2025
One newspaper columnist even castigated Diana (but notably not Charles) for allowing young William to watch Starsky & Hutch before bed.
—Air Mail, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Jail authorities criticized Leading prosecutors castigated authorities for the jailbreak.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2025
In late February, Mr. Zelensky met with the American president in Washington — a disastrous visit in which Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance castigated the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office for not being grateful enough for U.S. support, as journalists recorded the scene.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 15 May 2025
One newspaper columnist even castigated Diana (but notably not Charles) for allowing young William to watch Starsky & Hutch before bed.
—Air Mail, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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Paul Krugman has referred to deficit hawks as ‘deficit scolds’, because the spend more time warning about the dangers of the deficit than fixing it.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Musk and Gor reportedly clashed in Cabinet meetings where Musk scolded Gor over personnel disagreements in recent months.—
Ally Goelz,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The wild and ugly scenes saw rioters attack law enforcement with rocks and Molotov cocktails while others burned vehicles and other property.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
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Boone acknowledged that location will be key for Stroman, who can no longer attack hitters head-on at this stage of his career.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Road America punishes hesitation and rewards nerve, making every session breathtaking.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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Several changes were made to the course in 2024 to reward good shots and punish bad ones without adding any yardage.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
18 June 2025
Verb
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That brief timeline likely means that Combs — who has been reprimanded by Judge Arun Subramanian for nodding at jurors while his defense attorneys cross-examine government witnesses — will not take the stand.—
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento,
NPR,
24 June 2025
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But Pitt later said in an interview with GQ in 2024 that Alcoholics Anonymous reprimanded him for talking about his experience with the group publicly.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
Verb
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At a time when establishing clarity of first principles has never been more urgent, UF’s law school practically dared anyone to criticize the award for whitewashing the Constitution.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2025
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Environmental groups lobbied for the 8.3% increase versus something higher, but also criticized the water authority for not solving its problems sooner.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Nonetheless, the missing performers were lectured by Richard Grenell, Trump’s new president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—a man with, inevitably, no experience in any of them—that performers must perform for people of all political parties.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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At the Cooper Union in New York in November, Sumner again lectured on Adams’s theory, while a group of Republicans and radical abolitionists sat behind his podium on the stage.—
Zaakir Tameez
June 11,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Partly to blame is high inflation, claimed Bankrate, which has increased by about 24% since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
24 June 2025
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The lawsuit alleges the Tesla’s design was to blame for the car swerving out of its lane and not braking correctly, according to Reuters.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Sanders slams corporations, CEOs At the heart of the issues in America’s political climate, Sanders said, is an immense concentration of wealth among a select few corporations and people.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 June 2025
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But the door slammed shut following three straight losses.—
Nick Crain,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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