throw the book at sb
to severely punish someone:
After the accident, the safety inspector threw the book at the company directors.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Chastising & rebuking
- admonition
- barracking
- bawl
- be in sb's face idiom
- beat yourself up
- bring
- come down on sb like a ton of bricks idiom
- crucify
- dressing-down
- keelhaul
- lambaste
- lay
- neck
- rebuke
- reprimand
- reproachful
- there'll be hell to pay idiom
- throw
- tirade
- upbraid
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Punishing & punishments