as in punitive
inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment
a castigating task that succeeds in doing nothing more than making the lives of the inmates miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
castigated him for his constant tardiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacking
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 punishing
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 castigating
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
So maybe rather than castigating them, other teams would do well to emulate them.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Nearly a year before the March elections, ads began to appear in Rogers’ district castigating him not simply as a RINO but as a closet liberal who supported gun control and Shariah law.
—Ava Kofman, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2024
Verb
In recent days, the hits have come from all sides, with her 2022 challenger, billionaire mall mogul Rick Caruso, castigating Bass in the media for her absence and handling of the fire.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
So maybe rather than castigating them, other teams would do well to emulate them.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Nearly a year before the March elections, ads began to appear in Rogers’ district castigating him not simply as a RINO but as a closet liberal who supported gun control and Shariah law.
—Ava Kofman, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigating
Adjective
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The problem last season was many teams still opted to kick the ball in the end zone because the touchback wasn't punitive enough.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Relief from punitive tax rules could fuel profitability, but only for those ready to meet the federal government’s new demands.—
Robert Hoban,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While Qataris may now indeed question the value of their military cooperation with the United States and its designation of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, Turkey’s military presence in the country also failed to prevent Israel from attacking.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Show Viz Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest had counter-attacking licked.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is likely to prevent the bloc from punishing other nations for doing business with Moscow, when the EU does so too — albeit at a far lower level than before the Ukraine war began in 2022.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
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But even this nod to forgiveness is relatively punishing, since the health refill freezes your character in a defenseless pose for a few seconds.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is the last organization that should be lecturing anyone about respecting the game.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
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Faculty across the state rebuked it as an infringement on academic freedom and warned of a mass chilling effect on free speech and lecturing on divisive topics.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Center fielder Lawrence Butler was the first player to score, slamming a ball into center field during his first at-bat to lead off the first inning.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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The instruments detected gravitational waves, faint ripples in space-time produced by the two black holes slamming into each other.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The reaction to Noack's viral Instagram post has been overwhelming, with many people criticizing her and her parenting style.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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The dispute also drew in renowned rabblerouser Wack 100, who defended Adam22 while criticizing Styles’ stance.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere in the book, Sheen writes about his public meltdown amid his firing from his hit CBS sitcom, blaming his rage on testosterone cream.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Republicans control a trifecta in Washington — the House, Senate and White House — meaning that blaming Democrats for a shutdown could be a hard sell.—
Aris Folley,
The Hill,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigating. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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