slap on the back
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Washington cared a lot about appearances and made sure that he presented himself as a formidable, dignified figure, not someone you’d slap on the back on a whim.
From Slate
“Let us go over the details once more,” announced Mr. Pinkerton, sweeping into the room with a friendly nod in Aunt Kitty’s direction and a hearty slap on the back for Mr. Bangs.
From Literature
Agustín Félix, a 26-year-old in tight jeans, expensive sneakers and a trucker hat, greeted Quintero with a slap on the back.
From Los Angeles Times
It wasn't exactly a slap on the back and a half-hearted "good luck", but it might as well have been.
From BBC
"I think memberships need to get revoked way more, because a lot of the time it's just a slap on the back of the hand and you go back."
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
