as in delighted
to take part in an activity in a superficial way
She dabbled in drawing and painting but sculpture was her favorite medium.
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Recent Examples of dabbled
Rappers Suga and j-hope took inspiration from trap and ’90s boom bap, respectively, as singers Jin and Jimin dabbled in rock and pop.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Before joining this magazine as a staff writer, Tad dabbled in humor and fiction and held posts at both Radio Free Europe and Newsweek.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Other brands that have dabbled in mesquite are Wild Turkey Longbranch and Old Forester King Ranch Edition, both of which are filtered through mesquite charcoal.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2026
He's dabbled with method dressing, recreating Bob Dylan looks during the press tour for A Complete Unknown, and nearly broke the internet when coordinating with girlfriend Kylie Jenner.
—Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Cub Sport records, including 2023’s Jesus at the Gay Bar, dabbled into soft-spoken dance music.
—Reanna Cruz, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
The star has dabbled in acting with a role in the Prime Video series Swarm.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
Brown, a running back, was USC’s primary kick returner as a freshman and dabbled in the return game at Arizona State last season.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Whereas Safdie and Anderson stayed on one speed throughout, Coogler experimented with and dabbled in tempo and covered so many innovative subjects — music, horror, history, civil rights, comedy and more.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Before joining this magazine as a staff writer, Tad dabbled in humor and fiction and held posts at both Radio Free Europe and Newsweek.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Other brands that have dabbled in mesquite are Wild Turkey Longbranch and Old Forester King Ranch Edition, both of which are filtered through mesquite charcoal.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2026
He's dabbled with method dressing, recreating Bob Dylan looks during the press tour for A Complete Unknown, and nearly broke the internet when coordinating with girlfriend Kylie Jenner.
—Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Cub Sport records, including 2023’s Jesus at the Gay Bar, dabbled into soft-spoken dance music.
—Reanna Cruz, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
The star has dabbled in acting with a role in the Prime Video series Swarm.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
Brown, a running back, was USC’s primary kick returner as a freshman and dabbled in the return game at Arizona State last season.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Whereas Safdie and Anderson stayed on one speed throughout, Coogler experimented with and dabbled in tempo and covered so many innovative subjects — music, horror, history, civil rights, comedy and more.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbled
Verb
-
Around them, a dozen children sunk into their parents’ laps — giggling, wriggling and delighted by the story.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Two weeks before Quinn and Jack Hughes joined Storrie for his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, many Heated Rivalry fans would have been delighted by the collision of two worlds.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fans are entitled to want to be entertained, and to be frustrated that the European campaign has been a struggle, as well as by the problems Palace have endured when confronted by 10 men on several occasions of late.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
United has long entertained the prospect of buying JetBlue, but remains disciplined on price, according to people familiar with the matter.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Timberwolves also played without starting forward Jaden McDaniels (right knee soreness) and guard Ayo Dosunmu (right calf soreness).—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Neither Green nor Booker played in the fourth quarter as the Suns cruised to the victory.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Is she amused or angered or saddened by this?—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Social media reactions to the bunny range from enamored to amused to annoyed at the price tag, which runs from $112 to $140.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meek lives with her dad, Smooch (Will Cobbs), a former Black Panther who now runs a roller rink, and her not-to-be-trifled-with grandma, Puddin (Lizan Mitchell).—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbled. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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