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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An autoimmune disease is a chronic condition in which part of your immune system mistakenly attacks part of your own body.—
Ruth Jessen Hickman,
Health,
10 Feb. 2026
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After learning that Casper had been diagnosed with Guillain Barré Syndrome, a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, Aidan Oldenburg, Ben Richardson and Luc Violette needed somebody with experience that could help them in the interim.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Let’s make an energy policy that serves the people of Maryland, not punishes them.—
Justin Ready,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
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The league now punishes teams for improperly holding players out with big fines.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The report criticizes the county bringing electrical infrastructure to PortMiami that allows cruise ships to shut down their smog-producing generators while docked, a $125 million project that received $20 million from the state’s Department of Transportation.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
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Continue reading … NEWSROOM REVOLT – Tensions rise at '60 Minutes' as Scott Pelley reportedly criticizes Bari Weiss.—
,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Continue reading … POLITICS BAD CALL – Trump admin slams Dems’ ‘call 911 on ICE’ push as reckless, links policy to riots and violent arrests.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Winter storm slams the East While Arizona's system is mostly a light-rain and mountain-snow setup, a sprawling winter storm is creating far bigger problems across the eastern half of the country.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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In her car, Jessica Gabriel’s Lady is an avid listener of DJ Revolution, a fictional radio DJ who lectures passionately about the struggles of modern-day life in Nigeria.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 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
Verb
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As an example, Vance called out an essay in The Nation that assails Kirk’s views on women, homosexuality, and affirmative action.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
20 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Castigates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigates. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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