1
2
as in sprinkling
a very small amount
she added a dab of sesame oil to the dressing before pouring it on the salad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in slap
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a bear can knock a man down with a simple dab of his paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
a dab at finding unappreciated collectibles and reselling them at a considerable profit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dab
Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
Verzini recommends using a new cotton ball or cloth for every dab to avoid spreading the color back onto the couch.
—Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
Hannah Coates, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
Simply dab it onto the center of your lips to perfect the halo effect.
—Glamour Spain, Glamour, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
Set the scene On the corner of the swanky Avenue George V, Fouquet’s is smack dab in tourist central.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
Verzini recommends using a new cotton ball or cloth for every dab to avoid spreading the color back onto the couch.
—Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
Simply dab it into the centre of the lips to complete the halo effect—soft, pillowy, and dreamy.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
Simply dab it onto the center of your lips to perfect the halo effect.
—Glamour Spain, Glamour, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
-
Their clothes are smeared with mud, symbolizing the earthy, devotional spirit of the journey.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Elliot has a bloody nose, a mouth smeared with lipstick and is wearing a frilly pink bra and pants.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The dog then slumped into the boat, with one crew member gently patting it in comfort.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Its ultra-lightweight texture sinks in quickly with no stickiness, and just a couple of drops patted into the skin is enough to target blemishes, blackheads, and congestion across all skin types.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ryvchin, whose former home was daubed with antisemitic language and cars were set alight earlier this year, said both Australia’s federal government and provincial leaders in the state of New South Wales had failed to act on proposals to curb antisemitic violence.—
Katie Silver,
NBC news,
25 Dec. 2025
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The walls at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami are daubed with rosy-red pigment from the Cochineal, a cactus-dwelling insect her mother would harvest and sell in her hometown of Ayacucho, Peru.—
Douglas Markowitz,
Miami Herald,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The Governor tapped his chest—an acknowledgment without acceptance—and went on talking.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
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But the art of Violette and his cohort tapped into a deeper disillusionment, the kind of corrosive cynicism that pervades a culture in which any sense of possibility for a non-horrifying future has been foreclosed.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Let cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy warm, slathered with the Calabrian Chile Honey Butter and/or drizzled with honey.—
Hailee Catalano,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
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Chef Jose Avila has served the Pambazo de Carnitas — the bread slathered and marinated in a red guajillo chili sauce — for six years, first from his food truck and since 2021 at his flagship Denver restaurant, La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Joe Mazzulla tipped his cap to Patriots counterpart Mike Vrabel after New England punched its ticket to Super Bowl LX.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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The Chicago Sky are set to tip off the 2026 WNBA season on May 9 after announcing a 44-game schedule earlier this week.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To celebrate, the president wants to offer free admissions that day to the country’s national parks, a self-serving gesture, no doubt, but one that is no surprise for a man who spent much of his adult life plastering his name on the sides of buildings, airplanes and casino hotels.—
Leonard Greene,
Mercury News,
27 Dec. 2025
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In one scene, Gracie Abrams texts Taylor a picture of the singer plastered on the side of a hotel in Indianapolis.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
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During the ceremony, Barron was seen smiling and clapping alongside Elon Musk, animatedly talking with Jeff Bezos and greeting outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The crowd rose to its feet, clapping and shouting in approval.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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