set an example

Idioms

Also,. Behave in a way that should (or will) be imitated, as in Dad was always telling Bill to set a good example for his younger brother, or They were afraid of setting a bad example for the other nations. [Late 1700s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The accolades were never the endgame. She wanted to put food on the table and set an example for her family and race,” said Andre Jones, one of her grandsons.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rochford said he was "delighted" with the vote adding that it was time for Southampton to "set an example for other universities to follow".

From BBC

Instead, Glenn’s experiences set an example for her teammates.

From Los Angeles Times

“We leave our shoes at the front door. Orion is still learning to clean his paws before entering so we have to set an example.”

From Literature

A century ago, Henry Ford set an example that other major industrialists would follow, when he cut working hours for staff in his car factories and adopted a 40-hour, five-day week.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023