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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
-
Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel's military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Bond yields are shaped in part by expectations of the benchmark interest rate set by the Fed, some experts said.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Merging with Teck will almost certainly be the master stroke in removing it from any plans by BHP to return with a fresh offer for Anglo American.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Moreover, Southern bakers have been perfecting this treat for generations, and our recipe masters the most classic version, staying largely the same since its first appearances in our annual Southern Living cookbooks as early as the 1960s and 1970s.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel's military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
An outer wall of the exhibit includes commentary through the centuries from great poets and scholars about the awe-inspiring site.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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An effective trustee is skilled in conflict resolution and adept at maintaining open communication while prioritizing the trust’s objectives.—
Royce Ramey,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Quantrill, like other prominent Confederates such as the Ku Klux Klan’s first grand wizard, Nathan Bedford Forrest, was mythologized by Confederate sympathizers.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Released in 2004, the film follows Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, who finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The actress-turned-artist also recently made an appearance in Italy for the 82nd Venice International Film Festival for the premiere of Kim Novak's Vertigo — and to accept the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Her space doubles as a gallery for up-and-coming artists.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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MetLiveArts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s performing arts series, will kick off its 2025-2026 season tomorrow night with a program featuring pipa virtuoso Wu Man.—
Jane Levere,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Jorge Luis Pacheco takes the Break room stage Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. Hailing from Havana, Cuba, Pacheco is a virtuoso pianist, singer, composer, percussionist and arranger.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Filming is underway in Colombia on bilingual political thriller White, a feature about Indian guru Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s role in Colombia’s peace process.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
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Nuno’s remarks came after The Athletic reported a row with Edu, the club’s transfer guru and Arsenal’s former sporting director, was at the heart of his disillusionment.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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