Dictionary

put someone in their place en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, transitive) To remind someone of their position.
2. (idiomatic) To bring somebody down; to humble or rebuke.
   • The response, culminating in Rooney finishing off a slick exchange of incisive, pass-them-to-death football, quickly put Scotland back in their place. 2014 November 18, Daniel Taylor, “England and Wayne Rooney see off Scotland in their own back yard”, in The Guardian:
   • Musk has spent a lifetime defying the haters; now, it seems, he’s finally in position to put them in their place. December 13 2021, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time Magazine, archived from the original on 13 Dec 2021:
   • His quips at the party aimed to put the CEO in his place.

Forms

Relateds

put on the spot · soften someone's cough · pull down a peg · cut down to size

Synonyms

cut down to size · inveigh · trim down to size · put someone on blast · charge · cannonade · light into · scold · debase · dress down · disgrace · rip into · knock down to size · lay into · criticize · threap · slur · eat someone alive · castigate · read somebody the riot act · bash · bawl out · slate · deprecate · discredit · upbraid · tell off · whittle down to size · skewer · censure · reduce · give a bad name · vituperate · embase · animadvert · berisp · get up · defame · slam · blast · fulminate · lash · get at · dispraise · tick off · bring down to size · lambaste · rebuke · denunciate · excoriate · cut down to size · get down · drag · derogate · rubbish · humble · berate · humiliate · put someone on blast · find fault · savage · objurgate · demean · condemn · pooh-pooh · relegate · give somebody what-for · chew out · disparage · reprehend · vilify · reprove · lecture · admonish · demote · put someone in their place · degrade · rate · keelhaul · downgrade · tear into · lace into · scorch · sink · tilt · slash · chide · chastise · abase · depress · give somebody a piece of one's mind · reproach · dishonour · reprimand · tosh · blame · denounce

Translations (23)

de in seine Schranken weisen (to remind someone of his position) · it mettere al proprio posto (to humble or rebuke) · pl poskramiać (to humble or rebuke) · pl ustawiać w szeregu (to remind someone of his position) · sv sätta någon på plats (to humble or rebuke) · nl terechtwijzen (to remind someone of his position) · nl terechtwijzen (to humble or rebuke) · de zurechtweisen (to remind someone of his position) · fi näyttää jollekin paikkansa (to humble or rebuke) · nl op zijn plaats zetten (to remind someone of his position) · nl op zijn plaats zetten (to humble or rebuke) · es cuadrar (to humble or rebuke) · ru поста́вить на ме́сто (to humble or rebuke) · hu helyre tesz (to humble or rebuke) · tr haddini bildirmek (to humble or rebuke) · de runterputzen (to humble or rebuke) · es poner a alguien en su lugar (to humble or rebuke) · hu rendreutasít (to humble or rebuke) · pl poskromić (to humble or rebuke) · de vorführen (to humble or rebuke) · fr remettre à sa place (to humble or rebuke) · nl de oren wassen (to humble or rebuke) · pl ustawić w szeregu (to remind someone of his position)