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!

Examples of teach (someone) a lesson in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Merle does feel obliged to teach a lesson to Todd, the guy running the gang on the outside, who has been bending over backward to accommodate Mike. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025

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

What is a candy bar worth when a child’s suffering not only doesn’t teach a lesson, but can actually cause further harm — like more jail time in the future? — Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024

Advertisement Rabbi Kushner rejected traditional explanations for tragedy — the notion, for example, that God employs suffering to teach a lesson, or that God has a plan unknowable to mortals. — Emily Langer, Washington Post, 5 May 2023

Taking part in a class-action lawsuit can teach a lesson, too. — John Kelly, Washington Post, 24 Sep. 2022

Watch Charli and Sennott teach a lesson in Vibes 101 in Poppi’s Super Bowl commercial above. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019