a pat on the back
noun phrase
informal
: a show of praise or approval
You all deserve a pat on the back for making this possible.
You did a great job, so give yourself a pat on the back.
Examples of a pat on the back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
She was given a pat on the back by all of us at Virgin Australia.
—
Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Apr. 2024
And then to have my kids give me a pat on the back and say, ‘Yes, this does feel authentic,’ was similarly wonderful.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Follow the steps below, then give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Stefanovic came over to console him with a pat on the back going into a timeout.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Times have changed—don’t expect a pat on the back for doing what your father didn’t.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 16 Oct. 2023
The determined, one-way dramatic escalation has built to a lot of dress-up for what is, functionally, a pat on the back.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 16 Sep. 2023
And each of these lessons is put into action when parents send their children up to the ice cream man alone, with only a few crinkly dollar bills and a pat on the back to carry them through.
—Camryn Brewer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
During the Vanity Fair interview, Eilish also opened up about her and Rutherford's courtship, giving herself a pat on the back for her determination.
—USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2023
Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Apr. 2024
And then to have my kids give me a pat on the back and say, ‘Yes, this does feel authentic,’ was similarly wonderful.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Follow the steps below, then give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Stefanovic came over to console him with a pat on the back going into a timeout.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Times have changed—don’t expect a pat on the back for doing what your father didn’t.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 16 Oct. 2023
The determined, one-way dramatic escalation has built to a lot of dress-up for what is, functionally, a pat on the back.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 16 Sep. 2023
And each of these lessons is put into action when parents send their children up to the ice cream man alone, with only a few crinkly dollar bills and a pat on the back to carry them through.
—Camryn Brewer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
During the Vanity Fair interview, Eilish also opened up about her and Rutherford's courtship, giving herself a pat on the back for her determination.
—USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a pat on the back.' 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 a pat on the back
Cite this Entry
“A pat on the back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20pat%20on%20the%20back. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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