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
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Recent Examples of castigate
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony also castigated the deputies for mishandling the 14 calls Mary made to BSO in the year leading up to her death.
—
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
That certainty hasn’t wavered even as some senior GOP appropriators castigate Vought’s actions.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Chris Wright castigated European energy generated from wind farms as too costly.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
The court gave the green light for those sweeping immigration operations to continue in Los Angeles — a decision that was praised by the White House and castigated by immigrant rights advocates.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
That certainty hasn’t wavered even as some senior GOP appropriators castigate Vought’s actions.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Chris Wright castigated European energy generated from wind farms as too costly.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
The court gave the green light for those sweeping immigration operations to continue in Los Angeles — a decision that was praised by the White House and castigated by immigrant rights advocates.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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On Thursday, when speaking to reporters at the White House, Vice President JD Vance scolded the media for not mentioning that the same ICE officer who shot Good was previously seriously injured during the car-dragging incident.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
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This is not a bunch of people trying to scold for something that is a part of some kind of ideology.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kyiv — Russia attacked Ukraine with a hypersonic Oreshnik missile overnight Thursday, a rare use of one of its most advanced weapons during the latest onslaught targeting the country amid freezing temperatures.—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 242 drones and 36 missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said Friday morning.—
Morgan Winsor,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fret about finding ways to score and the offense punishes you.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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The state’s drought-free status is welcome news for water managers, but residents in some regions are still recovering from a series of punishing atmospheric river storms that brought intense rain and flooding.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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No less than a half-dozen GOP senators publicly criticized the Department of Justice for investigating Powell over Hill testimony last year about the Fed headquarters’ renovation.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
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Last week, Graham Knaus, the chief executive of the California State Association of Counties, criticized Newsom’s budget for not responding to the cost burdens shifting to local governments.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Allen later slammed his right hand into the helmet of right guard O’Cyrus Torrence after releasing the ball.—
Mark Long,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
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Trump had repeatedly slammed Powell for cost overruns tied to the renovation.—
Elizabeth Schulze,
ABC News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Christian author Philip Yancey is retiring from writing and lecturing after admitting to a long-running affair with a married woman.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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After teaching at Sacramento City College and lecturing at UC Davis, Fisher moved into public history, working with the California Office of Historic Preservation and the Architectural History Department at Caltrans.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But there’s a big difference between knowing that a relative is a pill and loving them through it and being rudely insulted by a relative and just sucking it up.—
Eric Thomas,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Jan. 2026
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Despite his mediator role, Rodríguez is also known for his explosive temperament, lashing out in Congress and publicly threatening and insulting members of the opposition.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Performers have been reprimanded for making racist, sexist and homophobic jokes during shows in the late 1990s and 2000s, according to Westword, and Stock Show officials were quick to apologize.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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His popularity in other corners was evident in an October appearance on The View, in which cohost Whoopi Goldberg had to reprimand the audience for shouting out too many supportive exclamations.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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