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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of castigate
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
Being merely a puppet of whatever the AI tells you is not likely to work out and you’ll probably be castigated as the dumbest person in the room rather than the smartest.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Most people have been hearing about Marx and Marxism forever; even Donald Trump, whom no one would suspect of having read Capital, routinely castigates his opponents as Marxists.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath, Sara rejects Isaac’s attempt to offer reassuring words and castigates herself for making a mistake that put Devin in jeopardy.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Air Mail, 10 May 2025
Being merely a puppet of whatever the AI tells you is not likely to work out and you’ll probably be castigated as the dumbest person in the room rather than the smartest.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Most people have been hearing about Marx and Marxism forever; even Donald Trump, whom no one would suspect of having read Capital, routinely castigates his opponents as Marxists.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath, Sara rejects Isaac’s attempt to offer reassuring words and castigates herself for making a mistake that put Devin in jeopardy.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
-
At another meeting in May 2024, Grippo scolded female employees for not working hard enough, although the team was high-performing and employees worked long hours, the lawsuit said.—
Suhauna Hussain,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
-
In January at the annual World Economic Forum, President Donald Trump scolded Brian Moynihan, the CEO of Bank of America.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Her dad drove to Boulder to attack the protest three days later, according to investigators.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
-
After the quake evacuation, the inmates were still outside of the cells when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire and fled, said Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan.—
Brittany Williams,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Wayne trounced his competition with punishing punchlines and steely wordplay.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
6 June 2025
-
The state then passed new laws aimed at punishing such gouging, and no new similar incidents have happened since then.—
Thomas Elias,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
What follows is a series of painful-to-watch confrontations between the two, in which Ace reprimands Amaya for normal human behavior, like expecting the guy who chose her to show some romantic interest, in the low, measured tone of a psychopath.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
-
Manford was reprimanded for the incident; a male coworker who had done something similar a month before faced no repercussions, according to court documents.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
The document was quickly criticized for errors and citing studies that don’t exist, as first reported by NOTUS, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
-
At the same time, Lively was freshly criticized for her reaction to an interviewer in a resurfaced 2016 clip.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Rather than lecturing, Kahn recommends guiding them to draw their own conclusions.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
20 May 2025
-
Trump stated during his big speech on the trip that his administration was not there to lecture the region on how to deal with its affairs.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
Tax rise hit Domestic tax rises have also been blamed for the steep decline in economic activity.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
-
Chicago Tribune If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money.—
Maura Carey,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
But, in the end, Berg’s life became proof of a darker truth, one that is newly relevant in the Trump era: doors that swing open can also slam shut.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
-
President Donald Trump said his close relationship with Elon Musk might be over after the world's richest man and former top White House adviser spent the past few days slamming the president's signature tax and policy bill.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share