a pat on the back

noun phrase

informal

: a show of praise or approval

You all deserve a pat on the back for making this possible.

You did a great job, so give yourself a pat on the back.

Examples of a pat on the back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If your answer is yes, then give yourself a pat on the back. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026

If your bracket survived even half of those, give yourself a pat on the back — and maybe buy a lottery ticket. — Ryan Brennan march 20, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026

If your race didn’t go as you’d hoped or planned, giving yourself a pat on the back might not come as naturally. — Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 29 Oct. 2025

Whether that's a pat on the back, whether that's a kick in the rear, a different tone, a different message, whatever that might be. — Matt Zahn, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for a pat on the back

• intracardiac
• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback