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
John Hopewell, Variety, 19 June 2025
On the front steps, insults daubed in spray paint were directed at both Mayor Karen Bass and President Trump.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 9 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
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
On the front steps, insults daubed in spray paint were directed at both Mayor Karen Bass and President Trump.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 9 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
-
Wearing kitchen gloves to keep your hands from staining, knead 7 oz.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In testing on human teeth that were artificially stained with tea and coffee, the researchers found that a total of four hours of brushing showed visible whitening, while 12 total hours of brushing led to teeth that were nearly 50% whiter than those in a control group.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Their clothes are smeared with mud, symbolizing the earthy, devotional spirit of the journey.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Elliot has a bloody nose, a mouth smeared with lipstick and is wearing a frilly pink bra and pants.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Below is a recap of lottery drawings for the latest streak and how long it's taken to get to the current prize.—
Jennifer Sangalang,
Florida Times-Union,
28 Jan. 2026
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All seven Harry Potter hardcover books signed by 12 cast members, including Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Grint, Matthew Lewis and more, will be up for a drawing, according to Pancreatic Cancer UK.—
Sarah Sotoodeh,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There's no better tool for making biscuits, cornbread, or blackened chicken than a cast-iron skillet.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
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Signs of overfeeding include white crust on the pot or media, brown, scorched leaf tips, mushy or blackened roots, stunted growth, lack of blooms, and leaf drop.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The movie plunks us down at Mar-a-Lago, where Melania struts out the door and into the back of an SUV, which will take her to the red-white-and-blue private plane painted with the word TRUMP that’s waiting for her at the airport.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The same brush painted the bleak picture for both schools.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Regardless, this is a solid biography portrait with enough diaristic candor to compel a relisten to her greatest hits, in life and music.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
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The walls are adorned with black and white portraits of cinematic icons by Studio Harcourt and brass plaques that indicate their favorite tables.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The adventurous actress dirties up her frock and face to play the village pariah, who reeks of fish and would be no man’s idea of a suitable wife, except perhaps the one-eyed bum who sleeps in the town square.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
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When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Icing sugar coats the outside of each tiny treat, which comes packaged in a tiny pink gift bag.—
Angela Hansberger,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This is done by coating both sides of the glass with a special type of film.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daub. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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