teach (someone) a lesson

phrase

: 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!

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teaching hospital
teach (someone) a lesson
teachy
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Cite this Entry

“Teach (someone) a lesson.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teach%20%28someone%29%20a%20lesson. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

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