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
Gauguin was castigated for failing to shake off European pictorial traditions, and for appropriating non-European traditions.
—
Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
But in a world where Chrome is castigated as the worst offending mainstream browser for privacy and tracking, this will land flat.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Germans especially were floored when Mr. Vance – knowing Germany holds national elections this week – chose his Munich speech to castigate them for not accommodating the country’s far-right parties, widely seen as harboring neo-Nazi elements.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2025
Indeed, Trump himself has openly castigated judges who have blocked his legally questionable actions.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
But in a world where Chrome is castigated as the worst offending mainstream browser for privacy and tracking, this will land flat.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Germans especially were floored when Mr. Vance – knowing Germany holds national elections this week – chose his Munich speech to castigate them for not accommodating the country’s far-right parties, widely seen as harboring neo-Nazi elements.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2025
Indeed, Trump himself has openly castigated judges who have blocked his legally questionable actions.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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Officials want Indianapolis parents to take responsibility for their children Speaking at a news conference over the weekend, Bailey scolded parents for allowing their children out at night unsupervised.—
Matthew Cupelli,
IndyStar,
7 July 2025
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Trump has publicly scolded Massie for his opposition.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The main target of the attack was Kyiv and the surrounding region, with Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, Kirovohrad and Kharkiv regions also attacked, the president said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
10 July 2025
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Making homes more energy efficient is also a way to reduce carbon emissions, and thus attack the cause of more frequent and severe heat waves.—
Marianne Krasny,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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This punishes exposure but doesn’t reward preparedness.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Świątek, 24, took an early lead in the competition, and continued at a punishing pace to secure a 6-0, 6-0 win in less than an hour of gameplay.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Dan Baltic, a co-founder in New Ritual Press and one of tonight’s readers, remembers being reprimanded in 2019 in a writing workshop by a woman who was appalled by the alt-right protagonist of his debut novel, Nutcrankr.—
John McDermott,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2025
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Though city reprimanded the protesters, the group dissolved shortly after.—
Calista Oetama
July 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Political dynamics: DeSantis criticized the Florida House for delaying condo relief legislation, while House Speaker Daniel Perez defended the decision to address the issue during the regular session, highlighting the collaborative effort between the House and Senate.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
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The feud between the two was reignited after Musk criticized Trump’s big legislative package of tax reductions and Medicaid cuts, which passed Congress last week.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Lincoln Mitchell, a political strategy and campaign specialist who lectures at Columbia University, to understand what Mamdani’s primary win might indicate about the direction of national politics.—
Lincoln Mitchell,
The Conversation,
27 June 2025
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DuVernay presents the inhumanity of the situation without lecturing the audience or patronizing the subjects, instead providing an honest portrait of the fear, hope, and lost time that the Central Park Five experienced as the result of a profoundly broken justice system.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Chemical residue can be a primary cause of stiff towels and products like fabric softener can often be to blame.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
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Palestinians are collectively blamed for not saying or doing things many have been saying and doing.—
Micah Danney,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
Verb
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In June, the artist slammed ICE in a video recorded in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where officers are seen detaining several people in the streets.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
4 July 2025
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Jewish advocacy groups slammed President Donald Trump for using an anti-Semitic descriptor on Thursday during his Iowa speech celebrating the passage of his spending bill.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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