Examples:

• The company's management team put a thumb on the scale to ensure that their preferred candidate was hired for the job, even though other applicants were more qualified.
• The coach was accused of putting a thumb on the scale by giving preferential treatment to his star players, even when they didn't deserve it.
• The political candidate was caught putting a thumb on the scale by tampering with the vote counts, which led to his disqualification from the election.
• The referee was suspected of putting a thumb on the scale by making biased calls in favor of the home team, which angered the opposing team's fans.
• The business owner was accused of putting a thumb on the scale by unfairly undercutting his competitors' prices and driving them out of business.
• The teacher was accused of putting a thumb on the scale by giving her favorite students higher grades, even when their work was subpar.
• The lobbyist was caught putting a thumb on the scale by bribing lawmakers to pass legislation that favored his clients, which sparked a public outcry.
• The judge was criticized for putting a thumb on the scale by showing leniency to a wealthy defendant, who was able to avoid jail time for a serious crime.
• The news anchor was accused of putting a thumb on the scale by reporting only one side of the story and ignoring important facts that contradicted her narrative.
• The investor was praised for not putting a thumb on the scale and sticking to his principles, even when the market was volatile and tempting him to take risky bets.