What Does "Read Someone the Riot Act" Mean?
"Read someone the riot act" is an English idiom. It means "to give someone a stern warning, reprimand, or admonishment, often in response to their unacceptable behavior."Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "read someone the riot act" used in a sentence:- After the vandalism incident, the school principal read the students involved the riot act.
- The coach read the team the riot act for their lack of discipline and poor sportsmanship.
- His parents had to read him the riot act after he repeatedly broke the rules at home.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Read Someone the Riot Act" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
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