daub 1 of 2

verb

ˈdȯb How to pronounce daub (audio)
Definition of daubnext
1
as in to stain
to make dirty a tablecloth daubed with too many spills to ignore any longer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to smear
to rub an oily or sticky substance over he begins his nightly transformation into a circus clown by daubing greasepaint on his face

Synonyms & Similar Words

daub

2 of 2

noun

as in drawing

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 daub
Verb
Atop the reproduction, Duchamp daubed two dots of red and green in gouache, evidently inspired by snow globes sold in French pharmacies. — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 5 June 2026 The calming design from Japanese architect Kengo Kuma instils a sense of peace, complemented by the villas’ light wood and white color scheme that’s daubed with splashes of ocean blues. — Lauren Keith, Robb Report, 30 May 2026
Noun
Japanese cuisine gourmands keen on the snappy, nose-tingling, eye-watering bite of wasabi that accompanies sushi might not know that green daub on their plate may actually be horseradish in disguise. — New Atlas, 8 Dec. 2025 The background resembles flames or perhaps a sunrise with thick orange daubs of paint. — Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for daub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daub
  1. stain
  2. smear
  3. drawing
  4. blacken
  5. paint
  6. portrait
  7. dirty
  8. coat
Verb
  • The armpits of the Quran shirt are stained with centuries-old sweat.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In 2005, a vote-buying scheme known as Mensalão led to the conviction of senior PT figures and stained the party’s image.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • With a major election less than a week away, candidates and their consultants are pounding Floridians with a barrage of words — some intended to cast themselves in a flattering light, some intended to smear and degrade their opponents.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Apparently, ancient Greeks used breadsticks smeared with olive oil as a lubricant.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of smear
Noun
  • That isn’t unusual for someone who draws and paints every day — but this latest dirt is real, dug from the ground in Yorkshire and Warwickshire, England, and used as the medium for her drawings of trees and landscapes.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • While Schwartz retells classic folklore tales with humor and goosebumps in equal measure, Gammell’s powerful drawings nudge children wordlessly toward the ghoulish.
    — Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of drawing
Verb
  • As the balloon and its occupants fell to the ground, the nylon envelope and the gondola separated, and the wreckage scattered over a roughly 100-yard area, parts of it blackened by the explosion and resulting fire.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The shrinking process had exaggerated some features, vanished others, and blackened the flesh.
    — Daniel Barnum, Longreads, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of blacken
Verb
  • Satanic Planet are not likely to inspire teenagers to paint pentagrams on their attic floors.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Much of the walls are painted in a calming hunter green, decorated with landscape paintings and vintage art featuring families.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of paint
Noun
  • But whether a matter of intention or circumstance, what emerges in place of star power is a more intimate portrait of Perry and his decadeslong struggle with substance abuse, leading to his death from a ketamine overdose in the fall of 2023.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This is a portrait, ballpoint pen on notebook paper, of a woman existing somewhere on Planet Earth.
    — Madeline ffitch, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of portrait
Verb
  • To even wade into the arguments might dirty your hands, and mind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Verb
  • They are coated with gold and parylene C, a polymer that improves biocompatibility.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Warhol’s Portrait of Michael Chow (1984) shows the restaurateur across two panels coated in the artist’s trademark diamond dust.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of coat

Browse Nearby Words

datum
daub
daubed
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Cite this Entry

“Daub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daub. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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