lay a finger on

idiom

informal
: to touch or hit (someone)
usually used in negative statements
I don't know what he's complaining about. I never laid a finger on him.

Examples of lay a finger on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Easter Bunny Puns No bunny lay a finger on my Easter candy. Hannah Jeon, Good Housekeeping, 21 Feb. 2023 Like Chevron, Valero didn’t lay a finger on its dividend during the COVID downturn because of an enviable balance sheet compared to the rest of the sector. Brett Owens, Forbes, 30 May 2021

Dictionary Entries Near lay a finger on

Cite this Entry

“Lay a finger on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20a%20finger%20on. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!