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
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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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Shipp is tasked with scolding her father and delivering leaden exposition.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The team has started the 2025/26 season in a less than free-flowing fashion and has struggled to put up the attacking numbers that might be expected of a defending champion.—
James Nalton,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Atalanta comes in with resilience and attacking threats, particularly in transition, but their back line has looked shaky at times this year.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But then, less than two years later, a punishing atmospheric river storm sent a large redwood tree crashing down the steep slopes of the forest, slamming into the main bridge and causing other damage to the new facilities.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
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Hours before the suspension was announced, Carr raised the idea of punishing local television stations that continued to air Kimmel’s show.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
18 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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Trump’s former national security adviser then resumed criticizing his foreign policy on Ukraine.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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After a particularly bad at-bat in the seventh inning of Thursday's game, manager John Schneider didn't shy away from criticizing the franchise player and sounding the alarm on the offense as a whole.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The pattern of blaming star players, whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Marcus Rashford, is looking foolish, and the side has plummeted in form.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Wenger was supposed to go on trial with Amiri, but just two days in, his lawyer, Nicole Lopes, insisted on a mistrial blaming her law firm and struggles with mental health.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigating. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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