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 Intel makes central processors and has dabbled in AI chips, but doesn’t have a competitive product to Nvidia’s GPUs. — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 29 Sep. 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 The unit also dabbled in artificial intelligence, which Hegseth has been pushing, and designing drones resistant to jamming. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 After years of being a defensive specialist who dabbled in being a playmaker, rebounder and opportunistic scorer, the 29-year-old has emerged as a bonafide bucket-getter for a team with title aspirations in just its second season of existence. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026 The app has also dabbled in other games including word games, quizzes and a Wheel of Fortune title. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbled
  1. delighted
  2. entertained
  3. played
  4. amused
  5. trifled
Verb
  • Past visitors include different types of tuna that have delighted sport fishers, and open-ocean red crabs that can change the poop color of birds that feast on them.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Some of the builders were delighted by the strange setup — the sleeping alcoves for him and Lakofski, the balustrade inspired by the chain link of a nearby playground (and, maybe, a little Frank Gehry).
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of delighted
Verb
  • Hot on the heels of his Golden Eye award ceremony on Saturday night, John Turturro entertained another crowd at a Zurich Film Festival masterclass on Sunday.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Your phone already knows how to keep you home and entertained for hours.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of entertained
Verb
  • One recent three-month period saw the release of three film adaptations of acclaimed novels in which ghosts played a starring role.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The 30-year-old actress, who was named the Chinese brand ambassador for Kors last March, made her acting debut at 10 and has played numerous roles in historical, fantasy and romantic dramas.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of played
Verb
  • This kind of conversation always leaves me half-amused, half-terrified.
    — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Goddard said she was amused during last week’s performances to serve audiences a complimentary cup and saucer of Abigail’s tea blend and gauge flavor reactions.
    — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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