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
What a slap in the face to the folks who’ve studied, who’ve researched, who’ve invented, who’ve saved lives, who’ve fought for their lives, who’ve lost their lives, who’ve devoted their lives to keeping that last group as small as possible.
—
Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Indeed, the removal of Maduro could be interpreted as a slap in the face for Beijing, given a high-ranking Chinese delegation was hosted in his Caracas palace just hours earlier.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Anything else is a slap in the face to those who waited and followed the rules.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 2026
For The Washington Post As the days get shorter, the nights longer, and the air has grown so chilled that even the gentlest of breezes feels like a slap in the face, the city sparkles with twinkling lights everywhere.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
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Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Indeed, the removal of Maduro could be interpreted as a slap in the face for Beijing, given a high-ranking Chinese delegation was hosted in his Caracas palace just hours earlier.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Anything else is a slap in the face to those who waited and followed the rules.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 2026
For The Washington Post As the days get shorter, the nights longer, and the air has grown so chilled that even the gentlest of breezes feels like a slap in the face, the city sparkles with twinkling lights everywhere.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 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 4 Feb. 2026.
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