broken a butterfly upon the wheel

A form of break a butterfly upon the wheel — To inflict a punishment out of all proportion to the offence.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastpast participle of break a butterfly upon the wheel
Cite this entry
APA

broken a butterfly upon the wheel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken%20a%20butterfly%20upon%20the%20wheel

MLA

“broken a butterfly upon the wheel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken%20a%20butterfly%20upon%20the%20wheel. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “broken a butterfly upon the wheel,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken%20a%20butterfly%20upon%20the%20wheel.

Source: broken a butterfly upon the wheel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.