slap on the wrist

Idioms  

1. A mild reproof, as in We were fined heavily, and all she got from the judge was a slap on the wrist. [Early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

"In the end he got a slap on the wrist," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The judge gave Google a slap on the wrist and said the competitive dynamics of the marketplace were changing already, largely because of AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 1, 2025

"In two years, Sinner would simply have had a slap on the wrist," one source from an anti-doping organisation told BBC Sport.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2025

Instead, her claim says, the officer who made the comments received what’s known as a comment card — the department’s equivalent of a slap on the wrist.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2025

“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