1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
castigated him for his constant tardiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 truck driver got out of his car and castigated the agitators.
—
Robert McGreevy , Charles Creitz,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
His memorable scene from the pic saw Jerjerrof being castigated by Darth Vader for the slow construction of the second Death Star.
—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Hopefully California members of House and Senate would incessantly castigate the president’s inaction, hopefully getting media attention; the White House would be aware of whatever makes the news.
—
Jeff Horseman,
Oc Register,
5 May 2026
At the previous Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on March 9, Steve Juliusson offered up T-shirts castigating the Winnetka Park District.
—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Robert McGreevy , Charles Creitz,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
His memorable scene from the pic saw Jerjerrof being castigated by Darth Vader for the slow construction of the second Death Star.
—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Hopefully California members of House and Senate would incessantly castigate the president’s inaction, hopefully getting media attention; the White House would be aware of whatever makes the news.
—
Jeff Horseman,
Oc Register,
5 May 2026
At the previous Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on March 9, Steve Juliusson offered up T-shirts castigating the Winnetka Park District.
—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for castigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigate
Verb
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Soon though, Shawna noticed some of Zaayer's strange behaviors — including scolding her grandson, getting upset over cleaning habits and allegedly showing them racist videos.
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Justice Barrett actually sounded kind of sharp, almost scolding, in the opinion in her criticism of the assertions made by the plaintiffs and some of the justices in the minority.
Verb
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According to court documents reviewed by The Times, the model alleges that Sandoval shoved her down a flight of stairs in his home, pushed her to the ground at a hotel in Nashville, and attacked her and her father on June 3.
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Electing to keep his No 5 on the field, the Brazil head coach made a subtle tactical tweak that saw Endrick enter the action and brought Matheus Cunha further to the left flank — which unlocked the attacking prowess of Vinicius Junior.
Verb
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Americans across the nation are being asked (or ordered) to conserve water, thanks to widespread drought made even worse by a punishing heat wave.
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Congress cannot diminish their pay to punish an unpopular decision.
Verb
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For all her talk of women as allies, Siebel Newsom portrays conservative women who criticize other women as dupes manipulated by MAGA leaders.
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Last month, his ally Uthmeier declined to criticize the state party’s decision to limit the debate.
Verb
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Prosecutors allege Clay intentionally drove his car onto the sidewalk, sped toward a crowd of pedestrians and hit eight of them before slamming into a gate.
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Anthony Seigler led off the fifth with a double, Ceddanne Rafaela walked, and Abreu slammed a two-run double off the right-field wall for a 5-1 lead.
Verb
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Some commentators in the United States have taken the opportunity to lecture Europeans, and perhaps even indulge in a little schadenfreude.
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The work, then, is not to lecture communities into trusting us.
Verb
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The Los Angeles Dodgers insulted their Catholic paying customers by honoring a drag group that parades around as nuns and mocks their religion.
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But insult records and revenge songs go back to well before hip-hop.
Verb
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Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.
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Wimbledon fashion is also something that can get patrons in trouble, with Andy Samberg saying he was reprimanded for wearing black jeans in the Royal Box.
Cite this Entry
“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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