slap on the wrist
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rival athletic directors and coaches couldn’t fathom how someone who had so blatantly broken a universal rule would be allowed to escape with a slap on the wrist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
It's been more a shuffling of the pack and a slap on the wrist.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
One of the victims, now 16, she said she and her family wanted the sentences to be changed, and the boys sent to jail, saying the sentences amounted to a "slap on the wrist".
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
After a prolonged legal battle between Elon Musk and U.S. regulators over his past purchase of Twitter shares, the technology CEO is getting off with little more than a slap on the wrist.
From MarketWatch ● May 4, 2026
“Yeah, The Corporation will probably only get a slap on the wrist and get to set up shop somewhere else. Everything’s being blamed on Ladybird. Typical.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
