as in entertaining
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in delighting
to take part in an activity in a superficial way
She dabbled in drawing and painting but sculpture was her favorite medium.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 dabbling
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 May 2026
Throughout her childhood and into high school, Connors loved dabbling in songwriting, often trying her hand at songs about friendship and, later, her tumultuous high school breakup.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
For now, there are no other concrete details about the follow-up to 2025’s Phantom Island, which found Gizzard dabbling in heavy orchestration for the first time.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 24 Apr. 2026
Looking at these deals tells you that this is not a company dabbling in data centers.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dabbling
Verb
The lifelong friends paired up with director Louis Malle after playwright Gregory’s stint in Europe, staging experimental theater and dabbling in New Age communities (and near-death experiences).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 May 2026
Throughout her childhood and into high school, Connors loved dabbling in songwriting, often trying her hand at songs about friendship and, later, her tumultuous high school breakup.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
For now, there are no other concrete details about the follow-up to 2025’s Phantom Island, which found Gizzard dabbling in heavy orchestration for the first time.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 24 Apr. 2026
Looking at these deals tells you that this is not a company dabbling in data centers.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dabbling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbling
Adjective
-
Dining rooms Dining rooms are often where household dinners or entertaining happens, so spruce up the space for the new season.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
This is great news for fans of the entertaining series.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Aside from delighting the taste buds of curious tourists and hardy locals alike, lobster contributes more than $1 billion to the state’s economy.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
This younger Yelich-O’Connor sister made good use of the opportunity, delighting the typically small — but steadily growing — early Day 1 crowd with a hourlong set that nicely showcased her indie-dance-pop tunes.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
All well and good—even if the log-line here may remind some of you of this goofy scene from the Sex and the City movie.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Scott fares much, much better, grounding the movie’s goofier dialogue in broadly credible conviction.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
With fewer matches, shorter timelines and captaincy playing a huge role, identifying the right elite assets can make or break your World Cup Fantasy campaign.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Simmons fits in nicely alongside eighth-graders Ella Parece and Molly Buffington, all playing a big role in the run this time.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
With such popular attractions as Little Island, the Whitney, the Highline, and designer shopping just blocks away, the hotel is ideal for those who want to get out and explore—but still want to have lots of fun options to come back to.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
-
The Ritz Kids program offers fun diversions for children, including a popular Kids Night Out program in which children can have dinner, watch a movie, and play games while parents enjoy a child-free evening.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The podcast added its own layer of lighthearted commentary, signaling that even those closest to the Kelce family found the coverage amusing rather than newsworthy.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The podcast, which has become a cultural touchstone in its own right, signaled that even those closest to the Kelce family found the coverage amusing rather than newsworthy.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sports — even those played universally — are, at their soaring best, inherently frivolous.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
-
Smith has also raised concerns about those complaints the commission never sees because internal affairs categorizes them as informal or frivolous.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
But that still left the less-than-trifling matter of the second tier’s title to settle, as the teams were locked together on 97 points with one game still to play.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
The rise may seem trifling, but staffers work long hours, and a caffeine budget is a necessity.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbling. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
