stab in the back

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.

President Vladimir Putin described that mutiny as a treacherous "stab in the back", but later met with Prigozhin in the Kremlin.

From Reuters • Aug. 27, 2023

The added stab in the back came when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, making Buffalo largely irrelevant as a port.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2023

“It felt like a parenting stab in the back from the school system,” she said.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2023

Clip Studio going subscription mode has to be the worst stab in the back of the digital art community that I’ve seen in a long time.

From The Verge • Aug. 22, 2022

And as they turned, Bod felt something stab in the back of his hand.

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman