make an example of

phrase

: 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.

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Still, the administration’s decision to make an example of Anthropic is likely to trigger more disclosures than before. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026 If Germany found out that Hungary was cutting a side deal with the Allies, Hitler would make an example of them. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 Nevertheless, to show that nobody was immune from its reach, the FSB chose to make an example of him. — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026 The most embarrassing thing for the USA is that Garcia clearly was out to make an example of the Americans after all the pregame controversy. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for make an example of

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“Make an example of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20an%20example%20of. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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