slap in the face

Idioms  

1. A sharp rebuke or rebuff, as in Being criticized in front of my staff was a real slap in the face, or We thought it quite a slap in the face when they returned our letter unopened. The figurative use of this term, which can also refer to a literal blow, dates from the late 1800s.

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Example Sentences

The first slap in the face with a wet fish came for crypto on Feb. 21.

From Los Angeles Times

Germany sports minister Nancy Faeser said the IOC’s shift from its position one year ago to exclude all athletes and teams from Russia and Belarus as “a slap in the face of Ukrainian athletes.”

From Seattle Times

“He did everything the legal way and he did it the right way. And when he sees these give-ups at the border, it’s a slap in the face to everything he’s worked for,” the farmer told Ms. Allen.

From Washington Times

Leigh Finke was honored as the Woman of the Year from Minnesota, which critics called a slap in the face to Minnesota women.

From Washington Times

"It was a slap in the face, really, to find out how much they had spent," said Lange, who filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the county.

From Salon

Related Words

• abuse
• affront
• blasphemy
• contempt
• disgrace
• disrespect
• indignity
• invective
• libel
• outrage
• put-down
• scorn
• shame
• slander
• slap
• slight
• snub
• taunt