1
as in to scold
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 to attack
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 to punish
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 castigate
Trump has repeatedly and publicly called for her release since his return to office last year, and he’s castigated Polis for not pardoning her or transferring her into federal custody.
—
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Trump castigated the court for not spelling out what happens to the tens of billions of dollars the government has already collected.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Now, is anything done to castigate this man?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Trump castigated the court for not spelling out what happens to the tens of billions of dollars the government has already collected.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Now, is anything done to castigate this man?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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The feeling was less substantial, more childish, like expecting someone to walk in and scold you for doing something wrong and not knowing where to hide.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
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Stumbling on to this ruse, Antoine’s friend and manager Armand (Gilles Lellouche) immediately can tell Suzanne is a fake and scolds her for exploiting his friend’s grief.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, supporters insist their goal is not to attack a student, but to defend women’s sports.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Both sides accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Europe has for years tried to isolate the Russian leader and punished his country with international sanctions.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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The jail later punished the women for helping, the suit alleges.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Renter Mandy Feng, who prefers to use a pseudonym for fear of being seen criticizing the authorities, said the stimulus the government is offering has failed to offset people’s anxiety over an uncertain economic outlook.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
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At the time of the women’s march, Cannes organizers were being criticized for failing to do more to publicly acknowledge the #MeToo and Time’s Up initiatives.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Wanting to avoid running a red light, the trailer made a right-hand turn on yellow and slammed into a Santa Clarita Transit bus and two vehicles near the intersection of Golden Valley Road, according to the Sheriff’s Department.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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One of these cosmic rays for instance, dubbed the Amaterasu particle (after the Japanese sun goddess) slammed into Earth in 2021 with an energy 40 million times greater than particles slammed together at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The cruel cartoon of a constantly shrewish, venal, and disloyal Mary began cementing itself in the public mind when William Herndon, Lincoln’s Springfield law partner, started lecturing about his reminiscences within months of the President’s murder.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Also, don’t lecture your teens and don’t expect constant gratitude.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Trump quickly responded on Truth Social, insulting his job as chancellor.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
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In each episode a different guest sometimes played by a celebrity like Kumail Nanjiani or Atsuka Okatsu will walk through the door to get insulted by the pair.—
Joshua Dudley,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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On Thursday Nixon was reprimanded by the House Rules and Ethics Committee for her loud protest on the House floor last month that disrupted the vote on new congressional district maps.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2026
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If something’s not done as far as reprimanding, what will that do to him as a student?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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