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Synonyms

slap in the face

Idioms  

  1. A sharp rebuke or rebuff, as in Being criticized in front of my staff was a real slap in the face, or We thought it quite a slap in the face when they returned our letter unopened. The figurative use of this term, which can also refer to a literal blow, dates from the late 1800s.

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.

It turns your gift into a slap in the face with a wet fish.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

"It said I will still get a free pint on my birthday, but that's basically a slap in the face," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Instead, they got a slap in the face.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2025

The decision was a "slap in the face to the people of Epping", said shadow interior minister Chris Philp.

From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025

“Well, there’s a slap in the face of the Elf King! Ghohg is returning your gift! Ha! To show he’s displeased! What an insult!”

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

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.

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