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 The news media is waiting to make an example of those who make a mistake. Laura Clayton McDonnell, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Phillips decided to try to make an example of Armenta as a racist by posting a picture that showed only the half of his face that was painted black. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 The police, hoping to make an example of him, charged Fukui with violating the Cannabis Control Law. Andrew Weil, Harper's Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 During the trial, the prosecutor (Michel Fau) exhorts the all-male jury to make an example of Madeleine for the world’s murderous females, who apparently are everywhere, ready to pounce. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Legal analysts say the court will want to make an example of Bolsonaro to deter future politicians from alleging electoral fraud without evidence. Marina Dias, Washington Post, 22 June 2023 For global investors, the key question is whether regulators will be content to make an example of Ant and Ma, or intend to go after other tech giants as well. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2021 Still, House Democrats kept the case going, even past Trump's presidency, and are moving forward with the interview to make an example of the former White House counsel. Mary Clare Jalonick and Eric Tucker, Star Tribune, 4 June 2021 Still, House Democrats kept the case going, even past Mr. Trump's presidency, and are moving forward with the interview to make an example of the former White House counsel. CBS News, 4 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make an example of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Make an example of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20an%20example%20of. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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