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
One newspaper columnist even castigated Diana (but notably not Charles) for allowing young William to watch Starsky & Hutch before bed.
—
Air Mail, 10 May 2025
Being merely a puppet of whatever the AI tells you is not likely to work out and you’ll probably be castigated as the dumbest person in the room rather than the smartest.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Most people have been hearing about Marx and Marxism forever; even Donald Trump, whom no one would suspect of having read Capital, routinely castigates his opponents as Marxists.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath, Sara rejects Isaac’s attempt to offer reassuring words and castigates herself for making a mistake that put Devin in jeopardy.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Air Mail, 10 May 2025
Being merely a puppet of whatever the AI tells you is not likely to work out and you’ll probably be castigated as the dumbest person in the room rather than the smartest.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Most people have been hearing about Marx and Marxism forever; even Donald Trump, whom no one would suspect of having read Capital, routinely castigates his opponents as Marxists.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath, Sara rejects Isaac’s attempt to offer reassuring words and castigates herself for making a mistake that put Devin in jeopardy.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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At another meeting in May 2024, Grippo scolded female employees for not working hard enough, although the team was high-performing and employees worked long hours, the lawsuit said.—
Suhauna Hussain,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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In January at the annual World Economic Forum, President Donald Trump scolded Brian Moynihan, the CEO of Bank of America.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Her dad drove to Boulder to attack the protest three days later, according to investigators.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
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After the quake evacuation, the inmates were still outside of the cells when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire and fled, said Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan.—
Brittany Williams,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
Verb
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The penalty is a mere $200 fine, and members have not been punished for said violations.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 May 2025
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The United States halted a punishing bombing campaign against the Houthis this month, saying the rebels had pledged to stop attacking ships.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2025
Verb
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In 2022, he was reprimanded for oxycodone trafficking.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
22 May 2025
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The Supreme Court on Monday said Broward County Judge Mardi Levey Cohen will be reprimanded June 3 as part of discipline that also includes a 10-day suspension without pay.—
News Service Of Florida,
Sun Sentinel,
19 May 2025
Verb
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The document was quickly criticized for errors and citing studies that don’t exist, as first reported by NOTUS, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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Harry and Meghan have been criticized for making money out of projects that criticized the royal family, including through the multiyear, multimillion dollar Netflix deal that the Harry & Meghan documentary was part of.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Verb
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These days, nothing infuriates liberals more than to be lectured about the American plutocracy — not when Trump is perhaps the most brazenly corrupt president to hold the office in modern history.—
Alexander Heffner,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2025
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Maybe Healey can lecture them on how to sue Trump a hundred times and bankrupt a state on migrant hotel shelters.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
27 May 2025
Verb
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India blamed Pakistan for the attack, an accusation rejected by Islamabad.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
31 May 2025
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Such a strategy seeks to blame the EU for ‘forcing’ its member states to shoulder the burden of caring for refugees, at the expense of their own citizens.—
Frey Lindsay,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The Florida Panthers slammed the door on that, crushing that hope with a three-goal flurry in the second period and a game-winner in the third period.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
29 May 2025
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The 58-year-old man driving the truck reportedly then lost control of his vehicle before slamming into a nearby Honda Odyssey and sending them both into a guard rail, WOFL and CBS affiliate WKMG-TV reported.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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