a slap in the face
noun phrase
: a surprising act that offends or insults someone
Her decision to leave the company to work for our competitors was a slap in the face.
Examples of a slap in the face in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As a Black athlete, his success was a slap in the face to Hitler’s racist policies.
—
AZCentral.com, 3 Aug. 2025
The league’s biggest star choosing not to play in the All-Star Game is a slap in the face to all of those MLS fans who bought tickets and all of the MLS fans who subscribe to AppleTV.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2025
To ignore the voters is a slap in the face of democracy.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
This tax holiday on guns is irresponsible, coldly political and a slap in the face to the victims and their families.
—Tina Polsky, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for a slap in the face
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
AZCentral.com, 3 Aug. 2025
The league’s biggest star choosing not to play in the All-Star Game is a slap in the face to all of those MLS fans who bought tickets and all of the MLS fans who subscribe to AppleTV.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2025
To ignore the voters is a slap in the face of democracy.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
This tax holiday on guns is irresponsible, coldly political and a slap in the face to the victims and their families.
—Tina Polsky, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for a slap in the face
Cite this Entry
“A slap in the face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20slap%20in%20the%20face. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share