rap (someone) on/over/across the knuckles
idiom
: to criticize or punish (someone) in a gentle way for doing something wrong
The boss rapped me on the knuckles for missing the meeting.
Examples of rap (someone) on/over/across the knuckles in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The overspend was part of a much bigger French government budget deficit in 2023, which has just earned the country a rap on the knuckles from the European Union.
—
Anna Cooban, CNN, 31 July 2024
Still, nobody should be cheering this rap on the knuckles from the IG.
—Fred Lucas, National Review, 12 Apr. 2021
But in religion class that got you a rap on the knuckles.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 31 Dec. 2010
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Anna Cooban, CNN, 31 July 2024
Still, nobody should be cheering this rap on the knuckles from the IG.
—Fred Lucas, National Review, 12 Apr. 2021
But in religion class that got you a rap on the knuckles.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 31 Dec. 2010
Cite this Entry
“Rap (someone) on/over/across the knuckles.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rap%20%28someone%29%20on%2Fover%2Facross%20the%20knuckles. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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