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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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of dab
Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 21 Jan. 2026
Larissa Smack-dab in the middle of the country, there is no better place to get the authentic experience of everyday life in Greece.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026
Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
Simply dab it into the centre of the lips to complete the halo effect—soft, pillowy, and dreamy.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
Martha finishes the look with Lancôme eyeshadow and eyeliner and a dab of lip gloss.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 21 Jan. 2026
Larissa Smack-dab in the middle of the country, there is no better place to get the authentic experience of everyday life in Greece.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
Use another clean cloth or sponge to dab the area dry and prevent further water damage.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
Simply dab it into the centre of the lips to complete the halo effect—soft, pillowy, and dreamy.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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Robert Pattinson is unrecognizable with a long blonde hair transformation and lipstick smeared all over his face in a new photoshoot.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
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Outdated Vanity Lights Is your vanity light caked in dust and smeared with eight different paint colors from two decades of DIY paint jobs?—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the pair walk towards the arena together, Dunk is greeted by several smallfolk who pat him on the back and wish him luck in the upcoming trial by combat.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
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His dad patted Joe’s shoulder again.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Wading birds stalk the shallows, woodpeckers tap through the hammocks, and osprey circle overhead along the river corridor.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Feb. 2026
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Baulsir described himself as a lifelong soda lover and said FiiZ Drinks has tapped into that nostalgic love for old-school soda shops.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The only thing better than a creamy, cheesy, citrus, and spice slathered cob of corn otherwise known as Elote, is all those ingredients on a crisp pizza crust.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
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There’s nary a crease to be seen in Bina Daigeler’s costumes, all covetable, unapproachable and tailored to the gods; Matthew Herbert’s score may be among the lushest ever slathered over such horrible goings-on.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With this iteration, the league is hoping that national pride and novelty will lead to entertaining hoops -- but injuries have taken a toll even before the ball is tipped.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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With this iteration, the league is hoping that national pride and novelty will lead to entertaining hoops — but injuries have taken a toll even before the ball is tipped.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 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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The crowd — representing a wide range of backgrounds and languages — clapped along and filmed on their phones, clearly enjoying it.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
19 Feb. 2026
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Her Donna Summer disco program had fans clapping within the first minute.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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