as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
a British mystery writer who's an undisputed dab hand at building suspense
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Recent Examples of dab hand
The actor and director remains a dab hand at occasion dressing.
—
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
All of which curious George, a dab hand at psychological manipulation, coaxes along with the gentlest of nudges.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Zach is a dab hand at herbal knockout potions and the occasional amateur amputation, and there’s a scene featuring the latter in which Wheatley indulges his twin tastes for deadpan comedy and head-on gross-outs to the extreme.
—BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2021
In addition to the outfits of the characters in her famous self-portraits, American artist Cindy Sherman is also a dab hand at finds for herself.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
All of which curious George, a dab hand at psychological manipulation, coaxes along with the gentlest of nudges.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Zach is a dab hand at herbal knockout potions and the occasional amateur amputation, and there’s a scene featuring the latter in which Wheatley indulges his twin tastes for deadpan comedy and head-on gross-outs to the extreme.
—BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2021
In addition to the outfits of the characters in her famous self-portraits, American artist Cindy Sherman is also a dab hand at finds for herself.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab hand
Noun
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But as online marketplaces widen their delivery network across the country and social media marketing levels the playing field, direct-to-consumer, or D2C, brands are on the rise in India, according to experts.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
7 May 2026
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The head count at the consolidated headquarters went from around five hundred to just sixteen, eliminating many policy experts who had assisted field offices with difficult cases.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in business from Louisiana State University Shreveport.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
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The university will also suspend new admission into the bachelor of arts in anthropology and the masters of engineering and masters of science in materials science and engineering to rework curriculum through an interdisciplinary lens.—
Maven Navarro,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Detailed look at 1814 British attack on our nation’s capital, with Denver Brunsman, associate professor of history at George Washington University, lecturer at Mount Vernon, and scholar of the American revolution and early American republic.—
Staff Report,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
-
Whatever scholars might assume from the etymology, Morrison said the word’s origins reveal little about the Pharisees besides their existence as a distinct group.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Tech pioneer adept at shifting gears Atom Power was co-founded in 2015 by Kouroussis and Ryan Kennedy as a UNC Charlotte incubator, a project that started at the college before spinning off its own company and moving to the Lake Norman area.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Alouette has become an adept of dye recipes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Dominic McLaughlin stars as the titular Hogwarts wizard.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
QuickBooks Workforce offers help with setup through wizards and other guides, online support, and personalized assistance from Intuit payroll experts.—
Kathy Yakal,
PC Magazine,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Look up to see the colorful canvas panels, hand-painted by Rajasthani artists, showing off more of the local flora and fauna.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 May 2026
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And Mighty Real also spotlights under-the-radar but equally important LGBTQ pioneers like Lavender Country and the artists from women’s music label Olivia Records.—
David Chiu,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
To call a musician a virtuoso can be double-edged.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
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In positioning Mollestad as an exploratory team player, its six tracks reveal her chops well beyond that of a showboating virtuoso.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As for who is running this retreat, Rick Edwards is the concierge, and Ashley Edelman is the wellness guru and director.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
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Evan Miyakawa, a college basketball analytics guru who tracks transfer portal spending, initially estimated the market had increased 35% over last year.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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