throw the book at
The idiom "throw the book at" originates from the image of a judge using every law in a law book to punish an offender to the fullest extent.
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Definition
C1Legal
(informal)To impose the maximum penalty or punishment possible for a crime or offense.
Example
- The judge threw the book at the defendant, giving him the longest sentence possible for the crime.
C1General
(informal)To reprimand or criticize someone severely, often using every available rule or regulation.
Example
- The company threw the book at the employee who was caught embezzling funds, firing him on the spot and pressing charges.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "throw the book at":
throw to the dogsthrow to the wolvesthrow the bullthrow outthrow inthrow something in someone's facethrow about