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upside the head

Idioms  
  1. Against the side of someone's head, as in With those nightsticks the police are known for knocking suspects upside the head. [Slang; second half of 1900s]


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.

See Examples For:

You can see when it happens to and for Linda, Bridget Christie’s heroine in “The Change,” because it slaps her upside the head.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2024

“This is the last slap upside the head we’re going to get when it might still matter,” said Bill McKibben, a longtime climate activist.

From New York Times ● Jul. 10, 2023

“It’s cumulative — it’s got to hit you upside the head more than once before you conclude that there’s just no point in doing this.”

From Washington Post ● Jul. 3, 2022

Or maybe a boomerang, one that doesn’t slide gently back into your waiting grasp so much as smack you upside the head, leaving you feeling bruised, confused, and possibly stricken with amnesia.

From Slate ● Dec. 28, 2020

Someone else happed him upside the head and everyone chuckled, but Magdalys could hear the nervousness creeping around the edges of their laughter.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

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