DAB HAND Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

dab hand

noun

Definition of dab hand

chiefly British

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab hand

Noun

Shane Hemphill is a landscape design expert and co-founder of Art of the Yard, a Denver company that specializes in water features and garden landscapes.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 8 Nov. 2026
The planes landed safely at Paris' Orly Airport and bomb disposal experts conducted inspections.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of expert

Noun

Historians, scholars and philosophers are stepping in to offer some solutions and warnings.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
In 1709, the French scholar Antoine Galland was attempting to add a new volume to his wildly popular translation of One Thousand and One Nights, the first edition of its kind for a European audience.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of scholar

Noun

Still, the question of what Ebel was doing with his adepts swept through Prussia, dominating the newspapers that had only recently begun to emerge from their eighteenth-century chronicling of obligations to a more modern publicizing role.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Lest things get predictable, Tasjan’s adept at letting the music battle with the lyrics in a way that hints at how any experience is far more complex than we are led to believe.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026

Definition of adept

Noun

HBO‘s Harry Potter series has cast the roles of the titular wizard’s parents, James and Lily Potter, with Jasper Talbot and Hannah Chinn, respectively.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
Later, wearing new wigs, the pair decide to journey to LagOz to visit the elusive wizard who can make anything appear.

— Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of wizard

Noun

The hotel is already a below-the-radar hit in Japan’s creative scene, with guests ranging from household name artists to fashion industry insiders.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
Many of the big-ticket lots being offered are by historical, blue-chip artists whose careers were firmly established in the 20th century, from Kandinsky and Monet to Warhol and Basquiat, as opposed to living contemporary artists.

— Daniel Cassady for ARTnews, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of artist

Noun

Composer and piano virtuoso Clara Schumann, whose influence on 19th-century classical music is impossible to quantify.

— Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
John Mayer is launching his own record label, Sob Rock Records, the singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso confirmed Thursday, partnering with Universal Music Group’s Mercury Records for the new venture.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of virtuoso

Noun

Paul Mitchell, the Democratic data guru who leads the firm, said if the trends hold, turnout would hit 61%, up from 50% in 2022.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Weil Gotshal, a restructuring guru that advised Lehman Brothers, General Motors, and other big companies on the edge of collapse, is now weighing its own liquidation, the Financial Times reported and Semafor can confirm.

— Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of guru

Browse Nearby Words

dabbling

dab hand

dab hands

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Style

“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of dab hand

noun

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