dabbing

verb

present participle of dab
1
as in smearing

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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
  • For five days and most of a sixth, The Athletic’s Ambition Index was tapping its toes like Sonic the Hedgehog, waiting to see some ambition.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Anyone can install it and see their work in action after tapping through a few sideloading alerts.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 31 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
  • Another flash of brilliance came against St Louis City last season, another sensational assist, this one coming from flicking the ball through a defender with a sort of dynamic, Cruyff turn/backheel hybrid move, through to Matheus Nascimento.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • 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
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
  • That’s similar to the story of Odysseus’ anointing by an old woman in Odyssey 19, MacDonald says.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The poetic interpretation of the photo is of Messi anointing his successor.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of anointing
Verb
  • Eala supporters flooded the main stadium this week during her matches waving Philippines flags, and sometimes even clapping for opponents missed serves (a tennis etiquette no-no).
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • As the room applauded, the president did not appear to be clapping.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 25 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.

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dabbed
dabbing
dabble
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Cite this Entry

“Dabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbing. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of dabbing for Spanish Speakers

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