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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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This infection attacks your stomach lining and causes inflammation.—
Sayaka Blickenderfer,
Health,
28 June 2025
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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
Verb
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Instead of being punished for keeping coal unburned, these communities can be rewarded and reinvested in jobs, renewables, and resilience.—
Michael Sheldrick,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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At the end of Season 2, In-ho so graciously betrays everybody and eventually sneaks away from the pack, fakes his own death of the walkie talkie, and then puts his mask back on and punishes Gi-hun for causing this whole revolt and shoots and kills his best friend right in front of him.—
Jim Halterman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Dan Baltic, a co-founder in New Ritual Press and one of tonight’s readers, remembers being reprimanded in 2019 in a writing workshop by a woman who was appalled by the alt-right protagonist of his debut novel, Nutcrankr.—
John McDermott,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2025
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Though city reprimanded the protesters, the group dissolved shortly after.—
Calista Oetama
July 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 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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In his post, the New York state Assemblymember criticized online trolls for targeting Duwaji during his mayoral campaign.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Lincoln Mitchell, a political strategy and campaign specialist who lectures at Columbia University, to understand what Mamdani’s primary win might indicate about the direction of national politics.—
Lincoln Mitchell,
The Conversation,
27 June 2025
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DuVernay presents the inhumanity of the situation without lecturing the audience or patronizing the subjects, instead providing an honest portrait of the fear, hope, and lost time that the Central Park Five experienced as the result of a profoundly broken justice system.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Chemical residue can be a primary cause of stiff towels and products like fabric softener can often be to blame.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
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Christian Prudhomme, general director of the Tour de France, suggested that the peloton was already too fast last year, blaming speed for the scary 12-rider crash involving Jonas Vingegaard, Evenepoel, and Primoz Roglic at the 2024 Itzulia Basque Country.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
Verb
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Jewish advocacy groups slammed President Donald Trump for using an anti-Semitic descriptor on Thursday during his Iowa speech celebrating the passage of his spending bill.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 July 2025
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In June, the artist slammed ICE in a video recorded in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where officers are seen detaining several people in the streets.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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