cast the first stone

Idioms  

1. Also, throw the first stone. Be quick to blame, criticize, or punish, as in She's always criticizing her colleagues, casting the first stone no matter what the circumstances. The term comes from the New Testament (John 8:7), where Jesus defends an adulteress against those who would stone her, saying “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Also see people who live in glass houses; pot calling the kettle black.

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Example Sentences

Let he who is without stomach-turning sycophancy cast the first stone.

From Slate • Jan. 21, 2025

How the enemy can tear down our community and rewrite the history by highlighting our flaws.But let he who cast the first stone, who constitutes the new laws.Nah,

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2016

Jesus told them "let him among you who is without sin, cast the first stone" and then told the woman "go and sin no more".

From Reuters • Mar. 17, 2013

But to anyone who has felt they had to defend their life choices, I had cast the first stone.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2013

Who is it anyhow of the “magnetic” tribe that may cast the first stone at the “haystack”?

From The Arena Volume 4, No. 23, October, 1891 by Flower, B. O. (Benjamin Orange)