chastises

verb

present tense third-person singular of chastise
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chastises The few encounters with representatives of the law are exasperating — an officer chastises Soulan for being a bad role model for his students — though not necessarily cut and dried. — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 Later, after clearing the Silo 1 control room, Victor both chastises Camille for her failures and grudgingly praises her for lying so convincingly that his biometric lie detectors couldn’t detect it. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 The respected 13th-century Spanish rabbi Nachmanides (Ramban) chastises Lot for the atrocity of offering his daughters in place of the angels. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chastises
  1. scolds
  2. punishes
  3. reprimands
  4. criticizes
  5. blames
  6. lectures
Verb
  • Some intergenerational sparring ensues, as Kevin scolds Arthur for his more outré boomer comments, and Arthur in turn sneers at his grandson’s millennial lameness.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of scolds
Verb
  • This type of leader isn’t likely to emerge in a political culture that rewards antics and showmanship and punishes seriousness and integrity.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 12 Oct. 2026
  • That timeline rewards commitment and punishes constant switching, which is how most routines fail.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of punishes
Verb
  • Being a fly on the wall is precisely what Hard Knocks makes viewers feel like in the moment when Head Coach Mike Macdonald reprimands linebacker Derick Hall for getting too close to a quarterback.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The emperor reprimands her for being late for the rainmaking ritual.
    — Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026
Definition of reprimands
Verb
  • These days, the Ambassador has to handle a different set of challenges such as handling the fallout when the boss criticizes the British Prime Minister on social media.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • One candidate promises to lower gas and grocery prices and criticizes the incumbent for not doing so (as if politicians can control the market).
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticizes
Verb
  • Within days, her complaint – which names fraternity members and others, and blames Cornell and its police department for failure to act on her original report – became a focus of intense public attention.
    — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But the British Beer & Pub Association blames tax and overheads, and across the EU, the share of beer drunk in pubs, bars, and restaurants has stopped shrinking after years of decline.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of blames
Verb
  • Often, the pincher is in the company of an elder who lectures to her.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Professors structure lectures with an awareness of how a sentence might circulate online.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of lectures

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Cite this Entry

“Chastises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chastises. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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