1
as in scolded
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 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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of castigated
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
Robert Jenrick, a former Conservative leadership challenger and ex-immigration minister under the last government, has castigated local councils that remove flags.
—Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 29 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
Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Robert Jenrick, a former Conservative leadership challenger and ex-immigration minister under the last government, has castigated local councils that remove flags.
—Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 29 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
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Family matriarch Donna Adelson was scolded by a judge Thursday for weeping in the courtroom after being convicted of orchestrating a 2014 murder-for-hire plot of her former son-in-law, a prominent Florida State University law professor.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Lox's reaction to being scolded.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Tonges, who before Sunday’s game had never caught a regular-season pass, attacked the ball and gave San Francisco the lead.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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The occurrences grew more aggressive over time, with the Smurls' 75-pound German shepherd getting slammed into a wall and Jack getting attacked while praying.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One employee claimed McCarthy punished employees who complained about his management by reducing their roles in journalistic projects.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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That mismatch, where management is rewarded while shareholders are punished, is a classic sign of weak governance.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Vance lectured Zelenskyy and argued the wartime leader hadn’t shown proper gratitude for the billions of dollars in military assistance the United States has given to his country.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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We weren’t being lectured to anymore.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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An evening bike ride on a rural road turned fatal in a most unusual way, when the cyclist slammed into a deer in the dark, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Sep. 2025
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Supporters of Mangione have slammed Shein for using his likeness while his critics have also described the photo as a new low.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Geier, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology, has also been reprimanded by the Maryland Board of Physicians for practicing medicine without a medical license.—
Sarah Owermohle,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
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Plaza was later reprimanded by showrunner Michael Schur for taking the notes.—
Daysia Tolentino,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Many members of the media criticized the team's performance as did supporters, who were not impressed with the Americans, particularly in the first half, when the Koreans controlled the game and scored both goals.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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In a phone interview, both sharply criticized the map and its impact on Kansas City’s representation in Congress.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Macron alone cannot be blamed for the rising far-right, which is on the march across the West.—
Cole Stangler,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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Within months of his release, Brown was charged with assaulting his sister, and according to WSOC-TV, even Brown's mother has blamed the courts for allowing her son to be out in the community.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigated. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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