teach (someone) a lesson

idiom

: to make it less likely that a person will repeat doing something bad
I'm glad they got caught. That will teach them a lesson!

Examples of teach (someone) a lesson in a Sentence

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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.
Noticing Lisa is depressed, Gaga takes her under her wing to teach a lesson in confidence. — Kimberly Aguirre, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2024 Mundane forms of retaliation can teach a lesson more clearly than ignoring the transgressor’s wrongdoing, says Susan Boon, a psychology professor at the University of Calgary. — Allie Volpe, Vox, 14 June 2024

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“Teach (someone) a lesson.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teach%20%28someone%29%20a%20lesson. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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