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
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Instead of bottled salad dressing, make a simple one at home with olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, a dab of mustard and other flavorings of choice, such as garlic, herbs, or honey.
—Michael I Goran, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2026
Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Use another clean cloth or sponge to dab the area dry and prevent further water damage.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
Smack dab in the middle might’ve been enough three years ago.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Instead of bottled salad dressing, make a simple one at home with olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, a dab of mustard and other flavorings of choice, such as garlic, herbs, or honey.
—Michael I Goran, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
For liquid solutions, dab it onto clean skin with a cotton pad.
—Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Use another clean cloth or sponge to dab the area dry and prevent further water damage.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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Mullin did not apologize for his remarks and instead accused Paul of smearing his character.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
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The pigment lasts all day without smearing.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While most recipes dollop the biscuits on top, this dough is patted into a rough circle and scored into scone-like wedges.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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Jansen patted his catcher's mitt on Baumler's chest and the infielders offered their congratulations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Place de la République in Paris was daubed in swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans last Sunday after a neo-Nazi rally, and offices of France Unbowed have been attacked.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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Rogers, now a partner in the technology giant’s enterprise cloud division, and Monaco, who was tapped to be the firm’s global affairs president, took actions that helped GCC obtain and maintain a lucrative foothold within the federal government.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Mar. 2026
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There are limited options to tap into fuel reserves in Cuba, which are tightly controlled by the government.—
MATTHEW LEE,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Are people actually slathering their faces with salmon sperm in the name of glass skin?—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
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My Proustian madeleine is a sandwich comprised of walnut butter, cream cheese, and Medjool date jam slathered on thick slices of black bread.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those losses tipped the team’s point differential into the red despite their overwhelming winning record.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
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Some members of the community criticize Starmer's Labour Party government for failing to prevent pro-Palestinian demonstrations from tipping into anti-Jewish speech and acts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 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 arena clapped and cheered for their new archbishop.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
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A lot of the percussion in the score, in fact, is the Wells Cathedral school kids clapping and stomping.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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