make an example of
idiom
: to punish (a person who has done something wrong) as a way of warning other people not to do the same thing
Although it was only his first offense, the judge decided to make an example of him and sentence him to prison.
Examples of make an example of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump’s Congress wanted to make an example of Boston.
—
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Apr. 2025
Bezos fears that the government might seek to make an example of Amazon rather than its tech rivals such as Google and Microsoft, according to two people familiar with the matter.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 20 Mar. 2025
But Gordon was tried by Lincoln’s Justice Department, whose attorneys were eager to make an example of a brazen trafficker as the Civil War got under way.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Republicans are cheering the jury’s decision, believing Penny was wrongly prosecuted by a politically motivated district attorney who sought to make an example of him.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024
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Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Apr. 2025
Bezos fears that the government might seek to make an example of Amazon rather than its tech rivals such as Google and Microsoft, according to two people familiar with the matter.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 20 Mar. 2025
But Gordon was tried by Lincoln’s Justice Department, whose attorneys were eager to make an example of a brazen trafficker as the Civil War got under way.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Republicans are cheering the jury’s decision, believing Penny was wrongly prosecuted by a politically motivated district attorney who sought to make an example of him.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for make an example of
Cite this Entry
“Make an example of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20an%20example%20of. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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