1
as in criticizers
a person given to harsh judgments and to finding faults
even Broadway's most famously caustic castigator liked the play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nemeses
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the principal seems to enjoy his role as the tireless castigator of classroom pranksters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigators
Noun
-
By fighting for fairness and equality, while simultaneously asking us to care for others with compassion and empathy (sharing this with our frenemies and nemeses will be hard, but valuable in teaching them to be kind).—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
30 Jan. 2026 -
Lesbian agitators, such as Good, are its nemeses.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That case also crashed and burned in court and has been seen by critics as another example of an unnecessary prosecution that hurts the DOJ’s accountability image.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
-
What was once a forum for engaged — sometimes heated — debate has, critics argue, become a stage for viral confrontation.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The southern United States under the Jim Crow system of segregation, for example, was governed by a form of racial fascism premised not on a single powerful leader, but on decentralized groups of vigilantes and terrorists.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Peaceful Civil Rights-era marches and protests often turned into bloody, brutal and murderous affairs, fueled by inhumane law enforcement tactics and vigilantes operating with impunity.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Castigators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigators. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
