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
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
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
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
Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Benedict, meanwhile, is an expert colorist, a dab hand with print who knows all about decorative drama.
—Grace McCloud, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023
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
Sarah, a dab hand at deflecting sexism and maintaining her professional composure, takes the microphone and expresses her excitement at being on board.
—Justin Chang Film Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2020
That, perhaps, is a little less in the bag, but the Kremlin’s operatives are dab hands at suppressing protests and neutering the press.
—The Economist, 12 Mar. 2020
Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
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
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
Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Benedict, meanwhile, is an expert colorist, a dab hand with print who knows all about decorative drama.
—Grace McCloud, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023
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
Sarah, a dab hand at deflecting sexism and maintaining her professional composure, takes the microphone and expresses her excitement at being on board.
—Justin Chang Film Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2020
That, perhaps, is a little less in the bag, but the Kremlin’s operatives are dab hands at suppressing protests and neutering the press.
—The Economist, 12 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab hand
Noun
-
Reality does not meet the hype, according to one expert.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
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But about a quarter of women in the U.S. are behind on such screenings, and medical experts say reducing that is key to the ultimate goal of eliminating cervical cancer.—
Jennifer Ludden,
NPR,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
Padova, his university city, is 20 kilometers from the floating city, and his masters thesis focused on subsidence in Venice.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
4 May 2025
-
Jackson Simmonds, a master colorist and stylist in New York City, is the first to recommend at-home solutions that will keep his color clients covered (literally) for a bit longer between their visits to his chair.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
Immigration authorities released visiting Georgetown University scholar Badar Khan Suri on Wednesday following a federal judge’s ruling.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2025
-
The writer and scholar Robert Macfarlane has spent much of his life climbing up mountains and fishing on rivers, and his passion for each extends to his writing.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
Slot shares this staple of Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglou’s attacking principles, with Porro adept at tucking inside to disrupt the opposition shape.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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The result is that just these English words, representing just this original document, make for a new and somewhat undiscovered book, even to Marxist adepts.—
Benjamin Kunkel,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The wizard with the task of pulling this off indoors is Al Zaabi.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
-
Sophie sets out to find a way of lifting the curse and goes to the wizard Howl's castle.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
EW.com,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
Grammy-winning artist John Legend opened up about the troubling transformation of longtime collaborator and friend Kanye West in a candid interview with The London Times published on Saturday (May 10).—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
12 May 2025
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On colorful plinths made by Sarabande artist Adam, the brand showcased their special edition of Vintage 2015 in tribute to Jean-Michel Basquiat.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
Become Good At Something In Groundhog Day, Connors appears to relive the same day hundreds of times over; however, throughout the course of the film, Connors learns to speak French and becomes an expert at ice sculpting and a virtuoso pianist.—
Michael Hicks,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
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During a pivotal moment of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club on Broadway, country virtuoso Orville Peck makes a bold choice.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Here’s what those LinkedIn gurus aren't telling you.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
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John, a club and restaurant owner known around town as a nightlife guru, has rights to the land for up to 100 years under the comprehensive agreement.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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