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
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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
Defense attorney Brian Stevens said Ullrich was the victim of a tragic upbringing and addiction, while Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Romito and Special Prosecutor William Bruce had castigated the parents for leaving their son to die.
—
Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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Whether this comes off as a joke or as an invitation for scolding (spoken or unspoken, loving or otherwise) depends entirely on the other Muslims in the room.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
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But there was a time Emily Deschanel, who played the meticulous forensic anthropologist through 12 seasons of Bones, got scolded for being just that — and the memory still makes the star emotional.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
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In June, a woman defaced a Pilsen mural at 16th Street and Ashland Avenue and was accused of attacking another woman who tried to stop her.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
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Amorim needs a mobile centre forward capable of attacking open space at speed and offering a threat in quick transition.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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The Boston Federal Reserve is already testing CBDC programs, and the examples of abuse are everywhere: China's social credit system, which punishes citizens for political dissent, and Canada freezing of truckers' bank accounts in 2022 for protesting vaccine mandates.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
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The 22-year-old Shelton was utterly dominant in his first two matches of the tournament, punishing opponents with blistering serves and thunderous ground strokes.—
Jacob Steinberg,
Baltimore Sun,
26 July 2025
Verb
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The responding officer later reprimanded the woman for entering the vehicle to help the dog.—
Sydney Sasser
July 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 July 2025
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Some judges are known to reprimand attorneys who miss deadlines and even sanction them.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Many airlines have long relied on aging computer systems, and the aviation industry has been criticized for failing to modernize swiftly.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
22 July 2025
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McKinney ruffled some feathers by publicly criticizing former Giants’ defensive coordinator Wink Martindale in his final season with the Giants.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Gavin could learn something to benefit Californians rather than lecturing Americans 3,000 miles away.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
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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
Verb
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Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump doubled down on his past criticism and blamed Biden for Powell remaining in the role.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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While most of us could only dream of being so effortlessly chic, Parisians have it down pat—so who could blame us for wanting to borrow some of their go-to French fashion styles?—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Economic Trends First time and affordable home buyers are getting slammed.—
Jamie Gold,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council and seen as a front-runner to be Powell’s successor, has also slammed the Fed for its renovation project, but he’s stopped short of saying the central bank should bend to Trump’s will.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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