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
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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
-
Last month, stars across comedy, film and music came together at the Kia Forum to participate, with appearances from and jabs thrown by the likes of Usher, Katt Williams, Teyana Taylor, The Rock and many others.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
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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
Noun
-
Many of the paintings include a portrait of a Pullman porter or a maid surrounded by splashes of color and fragments of archival documents — newspaper clippings, timesheets, employee records.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
-
Get into the habit of cleaning up splashes and spilled liquids promptly to prevent them from absorbing into the surface, and avoid drenching the floor with excessive amounts of water when cleaning.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Salicylic acid works deep within pores to tackle buildup, while lactic acid smooths rough texture and refines skin’s surface, leaving skin looking clearer and feeling smoother in just a few swipes.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 June 2026
-
Clark and Bonner famously got into it during a physical postseason clash in 2024, including shoves and swipes.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
Noun
-
The district continues to face ongoing challenges from declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism — both apparently exacerbated by federal deportation threats, according to some experts.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
-
In recent months, Google DeepMind, Meta and Anthropic have begun to hire experts in psychology, philosophy and ethics in order to research the topics of machine consciousness and AI welfare.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 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
-
In revisiting that story here, Stanton taps into fresh reserves of emotion and also invests the simple, familiar image of a tire swing dangling from a tree with a vast totemic significance.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
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McMahon said Greenberg’s acquisition of The Hartford’s former complex at 1 Griffin Road North taps into a trend seen across the country.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
Noun
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The Los Angeles singer-songwriter’s latest is a crisp and candid twee pop record with unexpected studio touches and gut punches.—
Jude Noel,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
-
No such punches could be seen on the video.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
19 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,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabs. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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