teach a lesson

1. Punish in order to prevent a recurrence of bad behavior. For example, Timmy set the wastebasket on fire; that should teach him a lesson about playing with matches. This term uses lesson in the sense of “a punishment or rebuke,” a usage dating from the late 1500s. Also see learn one's lesson.

Related Words

• abuse 
• chastise 
• correct 
• crack down on www.thesaurus.com
• discipline 
• dismiss 
• execute 
• expel 
• fine 
• harm 
• hurt 
• incarcerate 
• sentence