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Definition

To demonstrate oneself to be dominant; to show that one has the upper hand.

To demonstrate that one is dominant over or superior to someone; to establish that one has control of some device or intractable object.

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In Context

  • "When children are young, spanking is a familiar device to show who's boss."
  • "Israeli soldiers . . . impose the curfews as collective punishment or as a means to head off violent protest, or simply to show who's boss."
  • "So tomorrow a patriotic Russian hacker might just start breaking into private email servers of American companies and releasing their contents, just to show who’s boss."
  • ""Bimeby I show yoh who's boss. I make yoh cry for Ramon be good to yoh!""
  • "A typewriter once put me in such evil temper that I threw it out a second-floor window. . . . Replacing it cost $100 or so—a small price to pay for the pleasure of showing a machine who's boss."
  • "[H]e decided to show Gates who's boss the only way he knew how—by whipping out his handcuffs and abusing his power to arrest."
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Also Said As

  • teach someone who's the boss
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See Also

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Related Idioms

u

upper hand

Advantage or control.

 w

whip hand

An advantage over another; the dominant position.

 b

but then

Then again, on the other hand; used to show that the opposite viewpoin…

 s

stick it to

To assert one's power in an attempt to get revenge or prove a point; t…

 h

hold one's own

To demonstrate oneself to be capable; to provide a respectable perform…

 p

put one's best foot forward

To show oneself in the best or most positive way possible; to make a f…
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