put someone in their place
The phrase "put someone in their place" is commonly used to describe the act of correcting or humbling someone who is behaving arrogantly.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2Social Interaction
(informal)To correct or humble someone who is acting arrogantly.
Example
- After his boastful comments, she quickly put him in his place with a sharp retort.
C1Professional Setting
(informal)To remind someone of their lower status or proper role within a hierarchy.
Example
- The manager put the new employee in his place after he tried to overstep his boundaries.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "put someone in their place":
find one's placewipe the floor with someonetell someone where to shove itput to shamecut down to sizetake one's placethrow something in someone's facegive someone the businessput words in someone's mouthkick someone's assput the boot inrub someone's nose inshow who's bossin someone's faceshow someone the doorput one's foot downput someone on ice