The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word BERATE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
E
R
A
T
E
More clues leading to the result BERATE
- Have words with British judge about term of sentence
- Clubber at event holding dress down
- Rogue shackled by queen, perhaps, scold
- Castigate worker harbouring vermin
- Half the money refunded for upsetting lecture
- Sit on judge’s carpet
- Slate with a step back on top would let air in
- Carpet free? Large one’s dumped
- Scold blackleg during social gathering
- Live charge creating blast
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Castigate" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case castigate = berate.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BERATE mean?
BERATE verb- To chide or scold vehemently