slap on the wrist
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.
One of the girls described the sentences as a "slap on the wrist".
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
But to many of the states, the deal looked like a slap on the wrist, not the catalyst needed to promote competition in concert ticketing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
After a prolonged legal battle between Elon Musk and U.S. regulators over his past purchase of Twitter shares, the technology CEO is getting off with little more than a slap on the wrist.
From MarketWatch ● May 4, 2026
"In the end he got a slap on the wrist," she said.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
“Yeah, The Corporation will probably only get a slap on the wrist and get to set up shop somewhere else. Everything’s being blamed on Ladybird. Typical.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
