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

Recent Examples on the Web 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 Taking part in a class-action lawsuit can teach a lesson, too. John Kelly, Washington Post, 24 Sep. 2022 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 Dear Solution: What a clever way to teach a lesson while making others in need feel good. Annie Lane, oregonlive, 15 Feb. 2022 My intent with the calisthenics was to teach a lesson about the importance of practice and discipline. Stephen Borelli, USA TODAY, 26 May 2023 Politis is one of several parents upset that a preschool teacher at Studio Kids’ Little River location used blackface to teach a lesson about Black History Month. Orlando Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2023 Twelve students sat in a downtown Phoenix classroom talking among themselves while three Phoenix Symphony musicians set up their instruments and readied to teach a lesson related to music theory at Hope Academy High School. Brenda Muñoz Murguia, The Arizona Republic, 18 Dec. 2022 The books all teach a lesson: Princess Cupcake Jones and the Missing Tutu, for example, emphasis the point of tidying up when her beloved tutu goes missing. Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 18 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'teach (someone) a lesson.' 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

“Teach (someone) a lesson.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teach%20%28someone%29%20a%20lesson. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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