1
as in to punish
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
chastened the child with five minutes of sitting in the corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the unexpected loss to a second-rate player really chastened the tournament's top-seeded tennis star
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chasten
Further, chastened by the backlash, the Warren Court, for the next four years with rare exceptions, maintained the status quo on a broad array of issues.
—
Time, 14 Nov. 2025
But make no mistake, the facility is a live demonstration of the Islamic Republic’s resolve to project growing strength after a chastening year of attacks by Israel and the United States.
—Amin Khodadadi, NBC news, 14 Nov. 2025
The American suffered a chastening 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon final eight weeks ago, the first time in the Open Era that a women’s player has failed to win a single game in the final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Many have read Gödel and come away chastened by the limits of certainty—without concluding, as Richardson did, that the logical next step was to spend your life playing cards and paying prostitutes.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chasten
Time, 14 Nov. 2025
But make no mistake, the facility is a live demonstration of the Islamic Republic’s resolve to project growing strength after a chastening year of attacks by Israel and the United States.
—Amin Khodadadi, NBC news, 14 Nov. 2025
The American suffered a chastening 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon final eight weeks ago, the first time in the Open Era that a women’s player has failed to win a single game in the final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Many have read Gödel and come away chastened by the limits of certainty—without concluding, as Richardson did, that the logical next step was to spend your life playing cards and paying prostitutes.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chasten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chasten
Verb
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But Einhorn said the stock was unfairly punished given the return of an old CEO, as well as an improving balance sheet.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
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What followed was not chaos, but something more deliberate—a narrowing of what could be said publicly, to punish those who spoke up, and to quietly erase stories that needed to be told.—
Adrianne Wright,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At one point at the table, Jane ran a fork down the side of Robert's face, leaving red lines, humiliating him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Days after the segment was recorded, Schmitz shot Amedure to death, then confessed to the murder, saying he'd been humiliated on national TV.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In some of the depositions, State Farm attorneys attempted to discredit their testimony.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
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During closing arguments, prosecutors used the four photographs at the center of the controversy to discredit the testimony of Link’s mother, the order says.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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The case has deeply embarrassed the royal family, especially his mother, who suffers from an incurable lung illness and who is torn between her role as mother and future queen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chasten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chasten. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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