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
as in drawing
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of daub
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
In another, an audience get to its feet to applaud a famed film director who’s accepting a prize at an awards gala, his face daubed in Indigenous face paint style.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 19 June 2025
Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
One church staffer presses a Bible to her forehead while another daubs her stomach with a pocket-size vial of holy oil.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for daub
Verb
Researchers expected the dogs to pay most attention to the cat doll, particularly when daubed with the feline scent.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
In another, an audience get to its feet to applaud a famed film director who’s accepting a prize at an awards gala, his face daubed in Indigenous face paint style.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 19 June 2025
Noun
After another row or two, Daignault’s canvases become increasingly abstract, finally dissolving into blurred daubs of color against black fields.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
One church staffer presses a Bible to her forehead while another daubs her stomach with a pocket-size vial of holy oil.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for daub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daub
Verb
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Being a part of Infowars was not just a temporary sacrifice, but an irrevocable black mark on all of us, and according to Jones, working alongside him would forever stain our résumés and limit our prospects.—
Josh Owens,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
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Make sure the deck is completely dry before staining or sealing it.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the start of the short, paved trail, the green slopes appear smeared with vague suggestions of ocher and mauve.—
Alissa Greenberg,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
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During one rant against cancel culture and its pernicious tendency to smear the innocent, Tillman brings up Joseph McCarthy as a prime example of a person whose reputation was unfairly destroyed.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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More than a dozen millennials gathered in a brownstone apartment in Brooklyn and placed their phones in a metal colander before two hours of reading, drawing and conversation — anything but staring at screens.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Certain categories, like social hangouts or free-form drawing, are excluded by default for younger users.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The benches are blackened with age, strewn with tools.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
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Juicy, whole lobster served grilled or blackened is best, though the menu at this famous haunt features every possible iteration of the dish.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The latest real estate report from Jones Lang LaSalle for the first quarter of the year painted a mixed picture.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Bultema was on top of his game, painting corners and working the zone high and low.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But his family takes Iván in as his experiences begin to dissolve into the imagined portrait of Celestino.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Oil portraits 2 The show is anchored at the beginning by two giant oil portraits of the Deans by acclaimed artist Kehinde Wiley, the painter behind the 2018 official portrait of former President Barack Obama.—
Jayne Yutig,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Lightly coat the exterior with olive oil.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Its weather-resistant powder coating withstands rain and other inclement weather.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daub. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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