1
as in scolded
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 attacked
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 punished
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 castigated
Also, lawmakers repeatedly castigated the insurance executives for trying to pad their profits by denying or delaying approval of the care doctors say their patients need.
—
Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
First, Swallwell castigated the Republicans on the panel for trying to attack Smith.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Jan. 2026
Trump has castigated European allies, particularly Denmark, for doing too little to protect the region.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
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
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
Payne also castigated the department for failing to provide any of the documents that lawmakers had requested on June 3.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The big headline from the rescissions effort is that the government will cut off funds to PBS and NPR, which Republicans have long castigated as having a liberal agenda.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 18 July 2025
Each regime, from the Pahlavi dynasty to the Islamic Republic, claimed to uphold human rights and castigated its predecessors as torturers, only to ratchet up the incarceration of political opponents.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
First, Swallwell castigated the Republicans on the panel for trying to attack Smith.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Jan. 2026
Trump has castigated European allies, particularly Denmark, for doing too little to protect the region.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
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
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
Payne also castigated the department for failing to provide any of the documents that lawmakers had requested on June 3.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The big headline from the rescissions effort is that the government will cut off funds to PBS and NPR, which Republicans have long castigated as having a liberal agenda.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 18 July 2025
Each regime, from the Pahlavi dynasty to the Islamic Republic, claimed to uphold human rights and castigated its predecessors as torturers, only to ratchet up the incarceration of political opponents.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigated
Verb
-
Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders scolded the media on Sunday after the team’s close loss to the Buffalo Bills at home.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
One study in 2020 surveyed 261 herders in Mongolia, another common habitat for snow leopards; while many reported having seen snow leopards, or had their livestock attacked by snow leopards, none reported any attacks on humans.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The upstream piranhas attacked her, and her blood flowing downstream attracted the rest of the piranhas, leaving the creek clear for the herd to cross.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Microsoft, on the other hand, was punished for its spending plans and slowdown in cloud growth.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Should Belichick have been punished?—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Michael Woroniecki lectured about Satan being a very powerful force.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 2026
-
If someone senses they’re being lectured or criticized, their walls will go up, and the conversation will stall.—
Devon Kuntzman,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Wilson slammed Homeland Security officials for the shooting that came a day after a woman was fatally shot by immigration agents in Minneapolis.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Many Democrats have slammed the administration's conclusions, arguing that the video does not appear to show the woman trying to hit officers.—
Maggie Vespa,
NBC news,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dorsainvil recalled also being reprimanded for promoting an event at the center via a billboard and for speaking with media.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The law banning smoking in restaurants hadn’t yet taken effect, but Wheeler reprimanded him anyway.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Chinese state media criticized the H20 for lacking technological prowess and being environmentally unfriendly, with regulators eventually halting imports over security concerns.—
Joe Toscano,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Liston questioned why Pretti was carrying a handgun — which appeared to be removed from its holster by an officer just before the shooting — and Baisley criticized Minneapolis’ local leadership and immigrants without proper legal status.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The order echoes the administration’s January 2025 action, which blamed California’s environmental and water‑management policies for intensifying wildfires and authorized federal agencies to override state water restrictions and accelerate environmental waivers.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Castigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigated. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
