Set 54 · Study 1 / 5

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knock someone down a peg

idiom/nɑk ˈsʌmwʌn daʊn ə pɛɡ/

to humble someone by bringing them down a level

The coach knocked him down a peg by making him run extra laps for showing off.

word origin — From medieval naval flag systems — flags raised by pegs showed rank; lowering them reduced status visibly.