back-patting

American  

[bak-pat-ing] / ˈbækˌpæt ɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of offering praise or congratulation.

   The winners indulged in a certain amount of mutual back-patting.

---

Example Sentences

Even the principal exceptions, often in the form of allegories that point to the brokenness of our world without depicting it directly — “Severance,” “Squid Game,” “Andor,” “Dune” — easily segue into yet another form of self-congratulatory back-patting.

From Los Angeles Times

“There was no great fanfare or back-patting,” a writer for the online publication Polygon observed.

From Washington Post

The people in the Dolby Theater looked awfully proud of themselves after Yeoh’s win, but if they really want to do right by her, they have to keep writing lead roles for 60-year-old Asian actresses; otherwise, it’s just empty back-patting.

From New York Times

Ignoring the reality on the floor, McCarthy kept smiling, back-patting, waving to his family in the gallery, pumping his fist.

From Washington Post

In that interview, Cameron said, "All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood's been doing over 'Wonder Woman' has been so misguided. She's an objectified icon, and it's just male Hollywood doing the same old thing!"

From Salon