dabs 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of dab
1
as in jabs
a quick thrust one more quick dab of the brush and he would be finished with his painting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

dabs

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of dab, chiefly British
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

dabs

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of dab
1
as in smears

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in taps

Related 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 dabs
Noun
The final version mostly holds itself together, though the front bezel requires either some electrical tape or a couple dabs of superglue to stay attached. — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026 Every page had its own illustration in an airy line-drawing style, with dabs of pastel color. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabs
  1. jabs
  2. splashes
  3. swipes
  4. experts
  5. smears
  6. taps
  7. punches
  8. sprinklings
Noun
  • There are atonal jabs, and there are jazz flourishes, and there’s kind of a deeply romantic strain running through it as well.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 29 July 2026
  • Perhaps that’s the biggest compliment for UCLA, going from being ignored or laughed at to taking a few jabs over your glowing reviews.
    — Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of jabs
Noun
  • Designed to feel more like island residential living, all accommodations include a kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, and private outdoor space set against a palette of deep earth tones and splashes of aqua blue.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • From Ancient Greek Sandals to Christopher Esber, these foam footbeds and jelly straps can handle sandy shores and poolside splashes, while being some of the easiest shoes to pack up.
    — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of splashes
Noun
  • Think of it like a team of pickpockets, one of which walks up to ask you for directions while the other swipes your wallet.
    — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 10 July 2026
  • Make careful vertical swipes, run the vegetable peeler down the sides of the fruit, following its curves to trim closely between the skin and the flesh.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2026
Definition of swipes
Noun
  • The breaches signal that AI’s expanding capabilities are already fueling the security threat experts long feared and even top developers can be caught off-guard by flaws their models can exploit.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 31 July 2026
  • Rodriguez was appointed after Republican senators held the seat open for three years, causing backed up court dockets, some experts said.
    — Julia Coin July 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
Definition of experts
Verb
  • Offshore dollar savings and onshore settlement demand are diverging, and the supply chart smears the two together.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • In other words, the show is a celebration of America’s 250th birthday, but one that smears a little cake on the country’s face.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 June 2026
Definition of smears
Verb
  • But that’s not the case for Sofwave, a non-invasive skin-tightening device that taps ultrasound to lift and firm skin on the face, neck and body.
    — Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • An InStyle editor taps two hairstylists to get their insights on the biggest color trends this season.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 29 July 2026
Definition of taps
Noun
  • There were no punches thrown, just heated discussion about the result.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026
  • The aim in the cage is to knock the other guy’s block off, and then to pile on to the point of submission with a flurry of punches.
    — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of punches
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
Definition of sprinklings

Browse Nearby Words

dab hands
dabs
dacha
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Cite this Entry

“Dabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabs. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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