dabbled

verb

past tense of dabble
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dabbled Florida isn’t the only state Obama has dabbled with in the midterm elections. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2026 Against the backdrop of seemingly endless violence, artists banded together and dabbled in soul, disco, and jazz as a salve to their suffering. — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026 Timberlake has notably dabbled in the beverage business in the past as an investor and campaign star for the brand Bai. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 But while Apple has dabbled in home products and platforms in the past, Tuesday's announcement shows Apple is making its home products a higher priority under Ternus. — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 Sara has dabbled in TV acting over the years, appearing in episodes of Californication and Nip/Tuck, per IMDb. — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026 So Trent dabbled in football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Lionized by Belle and Sebastian in the ’90s, the Scottish duo of Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton have evolved from rough-hewn folkies who dabbled in dance music to dance musicians who dabble in folk over their 30-year history. — David Harris, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026 Paine, who works in technology by day — and intends to keep that career — has dabbled in winemaking for many years during his world military travels. — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbled
  1. delighted
  2. entertained
  3. played
  4. amused
  5. trifled
Verb
  • For families Families are welcomed here with a friendly, low-key attitude that has delighted kids roaming free through the open spaces.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress who delighted TV viewers with her light-hearted turns on The Name of the Game, McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie before quitting at the peak of her powers, has died.
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of delighted
Verb
  • For families The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, has plenty of ways to keep children entertained during their stay.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The city entertained at least four proposals from various companies to conduct the study and found that GZA Environmental's proposal was both the most comprehensive and the cheapest.
    — Conor Wight, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of entertained
Verb
  • Federal district judges, even at the risk of physical threats, played a key role by throttling unconstitutional White House efforts to seize state voting records, curtail mail-in voting and manipulate the count in Alaska.
    — James D. Zirin, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • That is underscored by the fact that Democrats also certainly played a role in getting the word out about Amendment 3.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of played
Verb
  • Iowa’s roughly 900,000 cyclists, many of whom have participated in an annual cycling tour that’s made the state synonymous with biking, weren’t amused.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Commenters seem amused by the apparent gaffe and have chosen to convey their feelings through a plethora of puns, jokes and memes.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of amused
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
Definition of trifled

Browse Nearby Words

dabble
dabbled
dabbler
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Cite this Entry

“Dabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbled. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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