lay a finger on

idiom

informal
: to touch or hit (someone)
usually used in negative statements
I don't know what he's complaining about. I never laid a finger on him.

Examples of lay a finger on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Easter Bunny Puns No bunny lay a finger on my Easter candy. Hannah Jeon, Good Housekeeping, 21 Feb. 2023 Like Chevron, Valero didn’t lay a finger on its dividend during the COVID downturn because of an enviable balance sheet compared to the rest of the sector. Brett Owens, Forbes, 30 May 2021

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

Dictionary Entries Near lay a finger on

Cite this Entry

“Lay a finger on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20a%20finger%20on. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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