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
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 16 June 2025
Whether dabbed on with fingers in the back of a cab or built up with a brush for an statement-making flush, these hybrid staples are effortless as can be.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2025
Alex Kalogiannis, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2025
The beat-bread-and-fry blueprint is so well-established that even a dab of mustard is a dicey proposition among pork puritans.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
Use a cotton ball to dab the mixture onto your age spots.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 16 June 2025
Whether dabbed on with fingers in the back of a cab or built up with a brush for an statement-making flush, these hybrid staples are effortless as can be.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
Here, the car continues to be well-mannered, though the occasional dab for power triggers an overeager automatic into dropping a gear or two, sending the V12 into a fury.
—Alex Kalogiannis, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2025
The beat-bread-and-fry blueprint is so well-established that even a dab of mustard is a dicey proposition among pork puritans.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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Priscilla has, in turn, smeared Kruse and Fialko with false lies and malicious campaigns.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Plastic faded the blonde color of butter with age and the lettering smeared away, big thumbprint smearing a lilac hollow through the violet plastic of the power button.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The energy commission’s report on power costs was even thinner gruel, mostly patting itself on the back for adopting standards for appliances and other power-using devices that reduced their demands.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
16 Aug. 2025
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This Carnival connoisseur patted herself on the back many times for that sage decision.—
Baz Dreisinger,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In another, an audience get to its feet to applaud a famed film director who’s accepting a prize at an awards gala, his face daubed in Indigenous face paint style.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 June 2025
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On the front steps, insults daubed in spray paint were directed at both Mayor Karen Bass and President Trump.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
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In the footage, Atlas eventually taps Bingo's paw, prompting her to wake, before gently pawing at her again to garner her attention.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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The trio has built up relationships with top contacts across the film, design, photography, fashion, production and music spaces who will be tapped into when curating bespoke and tailored teams for each project; collaboration is at the core of the creative studio ethos.—
Kanika Talwar,
Footwear News,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Brioche is there, too, in the cinnamon roll ($5), a soft and fluffy fist-sized treat that springs back from a gentle push with a fork, slathered with a not-too-sweet cream cheese icing and dusted with ground cinnamon.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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But even amidst all the doom and gloom, Pattinson shines, slathering on the black eyeliner and moping around to Nirvana.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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My best tip after testing the recipe: pull them from the oven a bit early to keep the crunch from tipping into overly crisp.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Aug. 2025
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The afternoon got off to a heartfelt start when Goldschmidt tipped his helmet to a St. Louis crowd that gave him a standing ovation before his first at-bat.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In fact, Faulkner even established her own set of principles, known as Epic’s 10 commandments, that are plastered all over the company’s sprawling 1,670-acre campus.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
20 Aug. 2025
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The characters were once plastered all over the original kids' area, the Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera, which first debuted in 1972.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump clapped his hands in applause as Putin approached.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
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Orlando responded to the post with a comment of clapping emojis.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
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