1
2
as in splashes
a very small amount
she added a dab of sesame oil to the dressing before pouring it on the salad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in swipes
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a bear can knock a man down with a simple dab of his paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in experts
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
a dab at finding unappreciated collectibles and reselling them at a considerable profit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 dabs
David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
Among the other standouts are Klimt’s Blooming Meadow (1908)—a sea of green grass and trees flecked with blue, yellow, and pink dabs of wildflowers—and six figurative bronzes by Matisse.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2025
The 132 rooms have welcome dabs of color—royal blue desk chairs and headboards and pink and white curtains.
—Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 26 Sep. 2025
The venue hosts fun and educational events, such as crafting and game nights, where attendees can smoke vapes, eat edibles and do dabs.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Its gifts today are beautification, recreation, shade, cleaner air and water, walking and biking paths, dabs of nature in the city, the enchanting sound of falling water, programs and events, and art.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
The only thing missing is a few dabs of the extra-potent salsa made with chile Yahualica.
—Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Oct. 2022
Noun
The component parts include herself, a fashionable, high-ish brow, and maybe trashy auteur (Abel Ferrara, Olivier Assayas, Catherine Breillat, her own dad), a strong genre element, and dabs of very deliberate provocation.
—David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
Among the other standouts are Klimt’s Blooming Meadow (1908)—a sea of green grass and trees flecked with blue, yellow, and pink dabs of wildflowers—and six figurative bronzes by Matisse.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2025
The 132 rooms have welcome dabs of color—royal blue desk chairs and headboards and pink and white curtains.
—Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 26 Sep. 2025
The venue hosts fun and educational events, such as crafting and game nights, where attendees can smoke vapes, eat edibles and do dabs.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Its gifts today are beautification, recreation, shade, cleaner air and water, walking and biking paths, dabs of nature in the city, the enchanting sound of falling water, programs and events, and art.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
The only thing missing is a few dabs of the extra-potent salsa made with chile Yahualica.
—Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabs
Noun
-
The hearing quickly became combative, with committee members using their five minutes of questioning to trade jabs about federal policy, assert opinions about education issues and attack one another — including, at times, the witnesses.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
-
Through the media, Brunson and Hart often take jabs at one another because the bond is that strong.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The lines are clean and sharp, the palette muted, approaching grayscale (which makes later splashes of color, like in the gaudy decor of a talk show or the blood-rust-red of a post-apocalyptic sky, pop even more), and motion within the frame is kept to a minimum.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
Hockney’s paintings of pool water and splashes demonstrated his obsession with capturing elemental natural phenomena, even in suburban settings.—
Mark Rozzo,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Leaving the current occupant of the White House unnamed, Biden reflected on his own tenure and took a few swipes at the ex-Apprentice host’s record since returning to the White House from his successor and predecessor.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
-
Fieri yells in the next clip as Jesser swipes above his head to try to block his shot in an inflatable basketball game.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
While many countries have limits on immigration, none has ever voted to limit its population, Swiss experts say.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
Most financial experts will tell you to wait to claim your Social Security retirement benefits at least until your full retirement age (which is now 67) or even as late as age 70.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
This chilling, starkly beautiful ambient piece draws Nebraska’s marginal whispers to the forefront and smears them across the picture plane.—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The player taps his cap or helmet to alert the umpire to his desire to challenge the call.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
And as an advocate for mental health awareness, Devora taps into her network of experts with a focus on Gen Z and millennial audiences.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Most baseball fights produce a little shoving, occasional hugging, some dancing and pulled powderpuff punches.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
-
Three days before the first punches are set to be thrown at a White House-UFC event, the South Lawn is unrecognizable.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
My grandmother’s version typically called just for the addition of generous sprinklings of Lawry’s garlic salt and black pepper—and that’s it.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabs. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
