pat on the back
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But executives keep lowering the bar for themselves to boost their chances of getting a pat on the back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Reassurance, a well-deserved pat on the back, best wishes for good health and one piece of your favorite candy.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 29, 2026
"I give myself a little pat on the back for that."
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
Century missed, Bethell received a rousing ovation from the crowd and a consoling pat on the back from Duckett, who fell short of his own ton by playing on off Southee.
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2024
But the pearls were accidents, and the finding of one was luck, a little pat on the back by God or the gods or both.
From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
