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

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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.
Being betrayed by a boy is a slap in the face; being betrayed by your hero is a true gut punch. Zach Schiffman, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025 South Korea’s top diplomat then rushed to Washington to negotiate their release, while public fury swelled back home over what many see as a slap in the face from their longtime ally. Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025 Many Black consumers saw Target’s decision to cut DEI initiatives as a slap in the face. Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025 As a Black athlete, his success was a slap in the face to Hitler’s racist policies. AZCentral.com, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for a slap in the face

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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 14 Oct. 2025.

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