dabbing

verb

present participle of dab
1
as in smearing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in tapping

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbing
  1. smearing
  2. tapping
  3. daubing
  4. flicking
  5. slathering
  6. patting
  7. anointing
  8. clapping
Verb
  • At the entrance of Kollparay, Quispe pauses, taking my hands and smearing them with soil—the soil of her village.
    — Paola Miglio, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 June 2026
  • This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 5 June 2026
Definition of smearing
Verb
  • Tech companies are also tapping public markets for cash, including Google-parent Alphabet, which last month announced an $85 billion equity sale.
    — Hugh Son, CNBC, 24 July 2026
  • Like the way the girls made candy from tapping molasses trees, and letting syrup freeze on ice.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of tapping
Verb
  • 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
Definition of daubing
Verb
  • His violent men — Scott’s sinister dad and Melton’s sad one — light cigarettes by flicking matches on their ears and teeth.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • France trailed 4-0 before Mbappé sparked a comeback attempt, flicking the ball past goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 48th minute before adding a second with a left-footed finish from about 14 yards in the 66th.
    — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 20 July 2026
Definition of flicking
Verb
  • That doesn’t mean slathering on an egregious amount of lotions and serums, though — the 59-year-old actress’s mature skincare regimen is surprisingly simple.
    — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
  • The busboy, Oscar, fantasizes about slathering honey over Kelce's bared chest as he is tied to a pole, leaving him to be eaten by a bear.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Definition of slathering
Verb
  • The one-sided conversation ended with Hocevar patting Wallace on the shoulder — defusing the tension while offering little remorse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 June 2026
  • If raw red onion is too strong for you, let the slices soak in ice water for 15 to 30 minutes before draining, patting dry, and adding to the salad.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
Definition of patting
Verb
  • The poetic interpretation of the photo is of Messi anointing his successor.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • There’s no audience score yet on Rotten Tomatoes, but there’s been positive word of mouth from the media who’ve watched the epic, who are already anointing it with awards-season buzz.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 14 July 2026
Definition of anointing
Verb
  • In that contest, Clark was assessed a technical foul for loudly clapping in the direction of Mercury players during a skirmish, which White said the officials deemed as taunting.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • In a video shared on Instagram by Wallace, their guests could be seen excitedly cheering, clapping and stamping their feet as the action unfolded.
    — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
Definition of clapping
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.

Browse Nearby Words

dabbed
dabbing
dabble
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbing. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dabbing

Nglish: Translation of dabbing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All