1
as in to punish
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
chastened the child with five minutes of sitting in the corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the unexpected loss to a second-rate player really chastened the tournament's top-seeded tennis star
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chasten
Russia and China, though chastened by their inability to protect Venezuela, retain a strong interest in propping up Havana, given Cuba’s location just 90 miles south of Key West.
—
Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Xi’s success in wielding its dominance over rare earths to chasten Trump World probably didn’t do any favors for Howard Lutnick’s job security as Commerce secretary.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Further, chastened by the backlash, the Warren Court, for the next four years with rare exceptions, maintained the status quo on a broad array of issues.
—Time, 14 Nov. 2025
The American suffered a chastening 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon final eight weeks ago, the first time in the Open Era that a women’s player has failed to win a single game in the final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chasten
Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Xi’s success in wielding its dominance over rare earths to chasten Trump World probably didn’t do any favors for Howard Lutnick’s job security as Commerce secretary.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Further, chastened by the backlash, the Warren Court, for the next four years with rare exceptions, maintained the status quo on a broad array of issues.
—Time, 14 Nov. 2025
The American suffered a chastening 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon final eight weeks ago, the first time in the Open Era that a women’s player has failed to win a single game in the final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chasten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chasten
Verb
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Those tensions hit a new high when Reuters published an internal Defense Department email last week that proposed punishing Britain for its position on Iran by reviewing America’s position on the Falkland Islands.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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Under Díaz-Canel, the Cuban government has passed several laws and decrees to punish the sharing of opposition views, including on social media.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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According to the suit, she was humiliated by fellow staff members and belittled due to her race, country of origin, religion and immigration status.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Robert Brulle, a visiting professor at Brown University who studies fossil fuel lobbying, said ExxonMobil led efforts to discredit climate science that successfully impeded government intervention.—
Alex Kuffner,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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New science and forensics have since discredited the expert’s conclusion, prompting Gurley to throw out the convictions and order a new trial.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That this series has flipped on its head seemed almost impossible last Sunday, when the Celtics embarrassed Philadelphia in a Game 4 win on the Sixers’ home floor.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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The Mets were embarrassed by the Washington Nationals in an 14-2 blowout to even up the series at one game apiece.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chasten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chasten. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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