a slap on the back

noun phrase

: the act of slapping someone's back usually to express praise or approval
He gave me a slap on the back and said "Good job!"

Examples of a slap on the back 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.
Meanwhile, the chief gets a slap on the back. — Liz Crawford, CBS News, 8 May 2026 Agustín Félix, a 26-year-old in tight jeans, expensive sneakers and a trucker hat, greeted Quintero with a slap on the back. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2024 With his opening argument delivered and a slap on the back, he’s gone in a flash—off to his plane, which was waiting to whisk him to Munich for an engagement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. — Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for a slap on the back

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Browse Nearby Words

a slap in the face
a slap on the back
(as) large as life
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Cite this Entry

“A slap on the back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20slap%20on%20the%20back. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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