1
as in scolds
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 attacks
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 punishes
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigates
Verb
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While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026 -
Or on Bluesky with the joke scolds, or on Mastodon with the Linux hackers, or on Threads with the voice-forward brands?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Patients with myositis, an immune disease that attacks muscle, have shown significant improvements in strength.—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Ghostface killer attacks them, leaving two dead, including Lucas, impaled on a sharp beer tap handle.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nothing changed in the 48 hours, but Weiner surrendered moral clarity in a political environment that increasingly punishes Jews who refuse to distance themselves from Israel.—
Jacki Karsh,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
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That staunch support takes on extra significance in a hyper-competitive country that often only rewards top winners and punishes those who fall short.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whatley outlines public safety priorities, criticizes Cooper Beyond the specific proposal, Whatley said public safety would be a central focus of his Senate campaign and potential term in office.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
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Quintanilla criticizes opponents Johnson and Allred for wealth, stock trades, and immigration votes, positioning himself as a candidate who prioritizes immigrant families, small businesses, drug rehabilitation, senior relief, and local development programs.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When this valve slams shut, the entire network suffers a mechanical heart attack.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Researchers tested whether a hardy bacterium could endure the crushing pressures generated when a space rock slams into a planet and ejects debris into space.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
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Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.—
Simon Maghakyan,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Woodcutters sets forth the musings of a narrator sitting in an armchair at a dinner party who excoriates the literary awards establishments of his native land (and by extension all lands that are host to a robust bourgeoisie).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Castigates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigates. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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