slap in the face
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.
Riffing on the human need for emotional engagement through the arts with such venom is not just a slap in the face; it’s evidence of Iñárritu’s gnawing insecurities.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says there are myriad reasons people are either refused a credit card or, just as much a slap in the face with a wet fish, a low credit limit.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
The source described Saturday's visit to Moscow's traditional ally as a "slap in the face for the Russians".
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
"It is a blatant slap in the face to all service members," said a soldier we're calling Maryna, to protect her identity.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Even though she knew what she was going to see there, it still felt like a wet slap in the face.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
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.
