bring down a notch
Reduce excessive pride
To bring someone down a notch is to humble them or reduce their self-importance, especially when they've become arrogant or overconfident: He needed to be brought down a notch after that promotion went to his head.
The notch evokes a scale or ranking—lowering someone's position relative to where they've placed themselves.
Also *take down a notch* or *knock down a peg*.
- demoteLower someone's position
- chastenDiscipline to improve
- humbleUnassuming about oneself
- subdueBring under control
- deflateRelease air from
put in place · burst bubble · degrade · lower · dethrone · scale back · diminish · reduce · reprimand · puncture · moderate · curb · reality check · rebuke · restrain · lessen · temper · discipline