as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
the loss of his father's trust was the harshest castigation that the boy could have possibly received for having told the lie
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Recent Examples of castigation
The standoff centered on the now-former assistant attorney general’s public and internal castigation of pediatric gender medicine.
—
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026
His reverence for hip-hop led to a poignant self-reflection on whether his new approach would be the subject of castigation among the hip-hop faithful.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Apart from its castigation of non-fossil energy, the strategy document in some ways departs from the Biden administration more in style than substance.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Links with nonprofit group The recent castigations from progressive Democrats were driven in part by the Opportunity Caucus’s ties to One Main Street.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025
Like legions of dreamers before him, McGuirk started on film and TV sets as a PA, an often thankless job where random castigations from members of the cast or crew can be par for the course.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026
His reverence for hip-hop led to a poignant self-reflection on whether his new approach would be the subject of castigation among the hip-hop faithful.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Apart from its castigation of non-fossil energy, the strategy document in some ways departs from the Biden administration more in style than substance.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Links with nonprofit group The recent castigations from progressive Democrats were driven in part by the Opportunity Caucus’s ties to One Main Street.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025
Like legions of dreamers before him, McGuirk started on film and TV sets as a PA, an often thankless job where random castigations from members of the cast or crew can be par for the course.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigation
Noun
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But when the people responsible are caught, some are already hoping for the worst punishment possible.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
2 Apr. 2026
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But that behavior and actions cause for some type of punishment.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The immediate object of Uthmeier’s wrath is the Rooney Rule, voluntarily adopted more than two decades ago by the NFL to ensure that minority candidates are interviewed for coaching positions.—
Howard L. Simon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
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But in removing Zhang, Xi is sending a signal that no one is safe from his wrath.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That would draw another defender out and leave a gap at the penalty spot.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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Consumers and private health insurance plans would likely see the largest price increases under such a scenario, said Ciaccia, citing inflation penalties assessed when drug companies significantly raise prices for government health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Castigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigation. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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