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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dab
Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
My favorite thing to do is dab a little bit of moisturizer on the back of my hand and use a fluffy brush to wash it over my makeup, just to rehydrate it.
—Megan Decker, Refinery29, 28 July 2025
Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The casting here is perfection itself, with Cumberbatch and Colman bickering back and forth with all the drawing-room style of a new age Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall, or maybe the Burton and Taylor of The Taming of the Shrew with a dab of Virginia Woolf.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
At points, the Florida native dabbed away tears and looked unsettled.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
My favorite thing to do is dab a little bit of moisturizer on the back of my hand and use a fluffy brush to wash it over my makeup, just to rehydrate it.
—Megan Decker, Refinery29, 28 July 2025
Verb
But adding a dab of muhammara from the meze trio jazzed up the beef beautifully.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The casting here is perfection itself, with Cumberbatch and Colman bickering back and forth with all the drawing-room style of a new age Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall, or maybe the Burton and Taylor of The Taming of the Shrew with a dab of Virginia Woolf.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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After smearing Tylenol, the president's unscripted remarks quickly veered into an incoherent rant linking vaccines to autism as well.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 2025
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Mash it up, smear it on toast, toss it in a salad, or eat it straight.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mariota was seen checking on Quinn and later patted blood from his face with a towel.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
21 Sep. 2025
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Canales patted his head and tried to say something to him, but Young kept walking, then angrily slammed his helmet down.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But there is a distinction, Kutwala said, between flying flags from one’s own property and daubing paint across the town.—
Olivia Kemp,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
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Researchers expected the dogs to pay most attention to the cat doll, particularly when daubed with the feline scent.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Fill a cup of your favorite brew, and tap here to learn about the big reaction to Dutch Bros on Finneytown's busy Winton Road.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
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The 31-year-old rapper and singer has been tapped as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show performer.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The classic diner serves huge portions of affordable fare that tastes like your grandmother made it, including stacks of pancakes slathered in butter and maple syrup and omelets crammed with fresh ingredients.—
Nora Heston Tarte,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
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The bread is broiled, slathered in a homemade fondue-like beer cheese sauce, then broiled once more to create a toast that’s crunchy on the bottom and lusciously-creamy on top.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In aviation, iridium-tipped electrodes are used in high-performance spark plugs, providing longer service life and reliable ignition under intense conditions.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
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The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force tipped off the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that someone was using Kik to upload images of child pornography.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The agreement will plaster Carlyle’s branding on Red Bull’s RB21 challenger, drivers’ team kits, the pit wall and the garage, the two companies said Tuesday.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
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After the giddiness from morning espressos wears off, after the bravado interviews end with national reporters and every slogan is plastered in the locker room, the Broncos’ hype is left with a solitary truth.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wearing a yellow fringed dress, Jauregui spun and shook her hips alongside a safety vest-wearing Armstrong, ending the performance by quick-stepping over to the cocktail table, where her bandmates and Bankhead were smiling and clapping in celebration.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
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But as he was carted off the field, the 31-year-old clapped his hands to acknowledge the crowd and smiled widely.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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