make an example of
verb1
Idiomatic To punish someone so as to give a warning to others; sometimes, to overpunish them for added deterrence.
- He made an example of the drunken sailor with twenty lashes, to show that he must have a sober crew.
- Most people got away with Napster piracy, but a few people were sued for gigantic sums because copyright holders intended to make an example of them.
- Related terms
- by way of example, for example, pour encourager les autres