knock down a peg
Lower someone's status
To knock someone down a peg is to humble them or diminish their status, especially when they've become arrogant or self-important.
The expression comes from the image of pegs on a board used to track rank or standing—moving someone down a peg lowers their position.
After bragging about his sales numbers all quarter, losing the big account knocked him down a peg.
The phrase often appears as take down a peg with the same meaning.
- demoteLower someone's position
- humbleUnassuming about oneself
- chastenDiscipline to improve
- disparageExpress low opinion of
- deflateRelease air from
put in one's place · belittle · abase · undermine · demean · dethrone · embarrass · degrade · discredit · disesteem · rebuke · reprimand · criticize · unseat · admonish · devalue · shame · diminish
knock down a pegbuild up
Grow by increments
put on a pedestal · big up · puff up · gas up · hype up
knock down a pegflatter
Praise to please
butter up · praise · compliment · fawn over · suck up to
knock, down, knocks, knocked, knocking, knocker, knockers, downs, downed