castigate

to criticize or punish severely

Roots

ag / act: do, drive, or set in motion
cast / chast: pure, correct, or made clean

Other words with the ag / act root

act: to do something
action: the act or process of doing something
agency: ability to act or an organization
agenda: a list of things to be done
agent: a person or thing that acts
agitate: to stir up or drive into motion
castigation: severe criticism or punishment

Other words with the cast / chast root

castigation: severe criticism or punishment
chaste: pure or restrained
chastise: to scold or punish sharply

Castigate is severe correction: blame or punishment meant to set someone right.

The review castigated the policy for ignoring the people it affected.

Castigate shares the cast / chast correction family with chastise and castigation. The older pure/correct image is useful; the modern word is harsh criticism or punishment.