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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
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Recent Examples of dab
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
A little dab goes a long way, so one jar can last several months, or longer.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
Once the shapes are in place, use a foam brush to dab paint over the design.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
Add a small dab of dish soap, then gently rub it into the fibers with a toothbrush.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
A little dab goes a long way, so one jar can last several months, or longer.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
Use another clean cloth or sponge to dab the area dry and prevent further water damage.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
Once the shapes are in place, use a foam brush to dab paint over the design.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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Robert returns to his desk only to find that Invisigal had stolen him a donut as a gesture of good faith, which is now smeared all over his keyboard for the new janitor, Water Boy, to clean by vomiting H20 on the mess.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
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Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee said the audit was purposefully designed to smear the Sheriff's Office.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Taken together, the answers provided a sort of battle-damage assessment of the current moment, the kind undertaken while everyone is still patting themselves to figure out which parts survived the explosion intact.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
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That’s cute, today’s masters of the universe will chuckle while patting your head.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Swastikas and other graffiti have been daubed on synagogues and other sites, and security has been heightened at Jewish schools.—
Alex Holmes,
NBC news,
3 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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Top news OpenAI taps AWS Amazon shares closed at a record high Monday after OpenAI agreed to buy $38 billion worth of AWS capacity in a fresh sign that the ChatGPT developer is no longer dependent on Microsoft.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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Customers can tap their phones to the bag’s logo to access brand videos, authentication verification, care instructions, and personalized questionnaires.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The cousins shave Stone’s head and slather her with a cream to keep her from contacting her mother ship, ironically giving her a more alien appearance in the process.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
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In short, slathering exosomes onto your face after microneedling and lasers may reduce healing time and improve skin quality.—
Victoria Moorhouse,
Allure,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Chair Jerome Powell cautioned investors, however, to not count on another rate cut in December, which tipped markets lower.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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With the season tipping off in less than a week, here’s a look at Davidson’s 2025-26 strengths and storylines.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One version of Scanlon’s blinking face has been viewed more than 6 billion times on Giphy alone, plastered in chat rooms, text messages and social media posts.—
Cristian Santana,
NBC news,
27 Sep. 2025
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But his home operation finally took off when the school newspaper ran a profile on his cookie-peddling scheme, plastering the story on the front page.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As Consuelos spoke, a loud buzzing noise clapped through the studio space, with the actor pausing to take note of the distraction in the moment.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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Simon van Teutem clapped, too, but for him, the irony was unbearable.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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