back talk
noun
rude or disrespectful replies to the requests or directives of an authority figure; sass.
backtalk
-
a variation of
back talk.
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.
Zuckerberg sometimes displays what might be described as a “whim of iron,” a common malady among kings, princes, admirals and other individuals accustomed to issuing orders and having them obeyed without backtalk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
"Superintelligence" stars McCarthy as an ordinary woman whose TV, phone, and microwave start giving her snarky backtalk.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2020
Or there’s the impossible one: Wrench those phones out of your teens’ hands and tell them to go straight back to 1985, right now, no backtalk.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2017
Beantown denizens put off readers with their Brahmin-like brains and their skillful backtalk: they ranked at No. 5 in the survey for both intelligence and rudeness.
From Time ● Aug. 13, 2015
Truth is, I’m so nervous right now, I’d never backtalk again if it meant I’d get this job.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
