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
One newspaper columnist even castigated Diana (but notably not Charles) for allowing young William to watch Starsky & Hutch before bed.
—
Air Mail, 10 May 2025
Being merely a puppet of whatever the AI tells you is not likely to work out and you’ll probably be castigated as the dumbest person in the room rather than the smartest.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Most people have been hearing about Marx and Marxism forever; even Donald Trump, whom no one would suspect of having read Capital, routinely castigates his opponents as Marxists.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath, Sara rejects Isaac’s attempt to offer reassuring words and castigates herself for making a mistake that put Devin in jeopardy.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Air Mail, 10 May 2025
Being merely a puppet of whatever the AI tells you is not likely to work out and you’ll probably be castigated as the dumbest person in the room rather than the smartest.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Most people have been hearing about Marx and Marxism forever; even Donald Trump, whom no one would suspect of having read Capital, routinely castigates his opponents as Marxists.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath, Sara rejects Isaac’s attempt to offer reassuring words and castigates herself for making a mistake that put Devin in jeopardy.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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After the period, the TNT crew scolded Luostarinen for not keeping his stick on the ice.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2025
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The estranged wife of actor Scott Wolf was seemingly detained by law enforcement during an Instagram livestream, during which she can be heard scolding officers and alleging she was abused.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Even after December 7, 1941, when Japan attacked some of the territories that McKinley had claimed—Hawaii, the Philippines, and Guam—people from Kansas or California didn’t necessarily see any reason to don uniforms.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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In a May 2, 2017 text, Ventura was clear with Khorram that Combs allegedly attacked her.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Wayne trounced his competition with punishing punchlines and steely wordplay.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
6 June 2025
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The state then passed new laws aimed at punishing such gouging, and no new similar incidents have happened since then.—
Thomas Elias,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Verb
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What follows is a series of painful-to-watch confrontations between the two, in which Ace reprimands Amaya for normal human behavior, like expecting the guy who chose her to show some romantic interest, in the low, measured tone of a psychopath.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
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Manford was reprimanded for the incident; a male coworker who had done something similar a month before faced no repercussions, according to court documents.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Several Make America Great Again (MAGA) figures, such as Laura Loomer, are criticizing Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over his ties to the suspect in Saturday's deadly shooting.—
Mandy Taheri
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
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Following the opening match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta between Canada and Argentina, Argentina’s players and head coach Lionel Scaloni criticized the playing surface.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
Verb
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Rather than lecturing, Kahn recommends guiding them to draw their own conclusions.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
20 May 2025
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Trump stated during his big speech on the trip that his administration was not there to lecture the region on how to deal with its affairs.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Chicago Tribune If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money.—
Maura Carey,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
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Tax rise hit Domestic tax rises have also been blamed for the steep decline in economic activity.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
Verb
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But, in the end, Berg’s life became proof of a darker truth, one that is newly relevant in the Trump era: doors that swing open can also slam shut.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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Footage showed the missile carried six warheads which slammed into different targets close to one another in Dnipro.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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