1
as in scolds
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
a cold, distant father who rarely paid attention to his children except to chastise them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in punishes
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
the division of opinion regarding the appropriate way to chastise juvenile perpetrators of adult crimes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chastises
When a stranger chastises them for not wearing hijabs in public, Pari and Hanna can barely manage to stifle a laugh.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
As Dexter questions why Batista’s death hurts so much, Brian chastises his brother for listening to Harry too much.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Red Jacob chastises Colum for not healing quickly enough.
—Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
As Dexter questions why Batista’s death hurts so much, Brian chastises his brother for listening to Harry too much.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Red Jacob chastises Colum for not healing quickly enough.
—Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chastises
Verb
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While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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Or on Bluesky with the joke scolds, or on Mastodon with the Linux hackers, or on Threads with the voice-forward brands?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Men’s football continues to be dominated by a hegemonic masculinity that punishes any deviation from the norm.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Then punishes him by icing him for weeks by not responding to his contacting her.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The report criticizes the county bringing electrical infrastructure to PortMiami that allows cruise ships to shut down their smog-producing generators while docked, a $125 million project that received $20 million from the state’s Department of Transportation.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
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Continue reading … NEWSROOM REVOLT – Tensions rise at '60 Minutes' as Scott Pelley reportedly criticizes Bari Weiss.—
,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Wendell is a man who never reached out to do much and blames the world for it.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
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The current narrative blames artificial intelligence.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.—
Simon Maghakyan,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
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In her car, Jessica Gabriel’s Lady is an avid listener of DJ Revolution, a fictional radio DJ who lectures passionately about the struggles of modern-day life in Nigeria.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chastises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chastises. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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