Synonyms of dabs

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

• jabs
• punches
• digs
• pokes
• sticks
• nudges
• lunges
• pushes
• shoves
• stabs
• jerks
• jams
• jogs

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

• splashes
• sprinklings
• specks
• glimmers
• touches
• hints
• little
• bits
• licks
• traces
• handfuls
• flecks
• shadows
• particles
• spatters
• shades
• nips
• sparks
• slivers
• rays
• drops
• streaks
• shreds
• bites
• smacks
• pinches
• dashes
• ounces
• crumbs
• driblets
• spots
• soupçons
• smells
• peanuts
• smidgens
• snaps
• drams
• strains
• scruples
• mites
• drops in the bucket
• aces
• scintillas
• skoshes
• parts
• suspicions
• dots
• molecules
• patches
• jots
• granules
• doses
• nibbles
• grains
• syllables
• fragments
• portions
• atoms
• scraps
• motes
• tastes
• minims
• chips
• sections
• nubbins
• flakes
• iotas
• vestiges
• scatterings
• smatterings
• semblances
• whits
• splinters
• morsels
• flyspecks
• shards
• modicums
• minima
• shivers
• tittles
• shavings
• hoots
• clippings
• smithereens
• tatters
• parings
• smatters
• shots

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loads
• quantities
• piles
• bundles
• barrels
• buckets
• masses
• lots
• mountains
• gobs
• stacks
• heaps
• fistfuls
• bushels
• wads
• deals
• rafts
• reams
• pecks
• lashings
• scads
• oodles
• boatloads
• wealths
• messes
• volumes
• abundances
• profusions
• much
• potfuls
• passels
• slabs
• chunks
• plenties
• excesses
• surpluses
• overflows
• embarrassments
• superfluities
• lumps
• bonanzas
• overmuch
• overages
• hunks
• surfeits
• overkills
• oversupplies
• overabundances
• superabundances

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

• swipes
• punches
• slaps
• thumps
• strokes
• blows
• thuds
• hits
• pounds
• knocks
• pokes
• whacks
• smacks
• licks
• spanks
• clips
• bangs
• claps
• beats
• swats
• slams
• hooks
• chops
• lashes
• socks
• biffs
• fillips
• stripes
• hands
• pelts
• raps
• cuffs
• switches
• thwacks
• whams
• stingers
• bops
• hacks
• haymakers
• bats
• belts
• knees
• kicks
• welts
• cracks
• clouts
• slugs
• picks
• buffets
• douses
• bashes
• boxes
• plumps
• smashes
• wallops
• lickings
• whops
• larrups
• busts
• swings
• counterstrokes
• counters
• shivers
• counterblows
• beatings
• counterpunches
• rabbit punches
• lefts
• whips
• body blows
• sucker punches
• rights
• batterings
• roundhouses
• crunchers
• uppercuts
• whippings
• bastinadoes
• knockdowns
• pastings
• sidewinders
• thrashings
• right-handers
• kayos
• wallopings
• KOs
• one-twos
• drubbings
• knockouts

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

• experts
• scholars
• adepts
• hands
• masters
• artists
• wizards
• gurus
• virtuosos
• specialists
• aces
• dab hands
• past masters
• authorities
• sharks
• connoisseurs
• proficients
• sharps
• maestros
• consultants
• hotshots
• cognoscenti
• professionals
• geeks
• whizzes
• crackerjacks
• mavens
• enthusiasts
• fiends
• meisters
• craftsmen
• pros
• hired guns
• addicts
• fans
• buffs
• devotees
• aficionados
• journeymen
• Renaissance men
• mistresses
• all-rounders
• jacks-of-all-trades

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• amateurs
• apprentices
• beginners
• novices
• nonexperts
• neophytes
• dabblers
• inexperts
• laymen
• dilettantes
• nonprofessionals

dabs

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of dab

1

as in smears

Related Words

• smears
• daubs
• slathers
• anoints
• plasters
• bedaubs
• besmears
• coats
• sheets
• applies
• spreads
• lays on
• layers
• carpets
• surfaces
• overlays
• blankets
• lays
• mantles
• overlies
• covers
• overspreads

Dissimilar Words

• strips
• exposes
• uncovers
• peels
• bares

2

as in taps

Related Words

• taps
• flicks
• pats
• claps
• palms
• tips
• chucks
• tags
• clasps
• clutches
• clings (to)
• clenches
• brushes
• grasps
• knocks
• hits
• raps
• grips
• handles
• whacks
• grazes
• pounds
• shaves
• touches
• holds
• skims
• palpates
• feels
• palps

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dabs

Noun

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

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