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slap on the back

Idioms  

  1. A gesture of congratulation, as in The coach gave him a slap on the back for coming in first. [Early 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.

Agustín Félix, a 26-year-old in tight jeans, expensive sneakers and a trucker hat, greeted Quintero with a slap on the back.

From Los Angeles Times

It wasn't exactly a slap on the back and a half-hearted "good luck", but it might as well have been.

From BBC

"I think memberships need to get revoked way more, because a lot of the time it's just a slap on the back of the hand and you go back."

From BBC

He gave me a hearty slap on the back, his gaze sparking with excitement.

From Literature

I award the principal a booming slap on the back—because, hey, when am I ever going to get another chance to do that?

From Literature

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.