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 In the past, Vaughn might have been tempted to douse all Yancy’s dialogue with the sour aftertaste of superiority, but here his one-liners feel more like a peck on the cheek than a slap in the face. —

Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2024 What a slap in the face to the leaders who led this country to greatness. —

Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2024 As a Black athlete, his success was a slap in the face to Hitler’s racist policies. —

The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2024 The hyper-focus on climate change by elites in Washington and Hollywood is a slap in the face to Arizonans who are struggling to afford groceries, buy a house, and protect their kids from crime and drugs. —

Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 9 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for a slap in the face

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a slap in the face.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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“A slap in the face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20slap%20in%20the%20face. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.

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