1
as in to stain
to make dirty
a tablecloth daubed with too many spills to ignore any longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
Mark Ellwood,
AFAR Media,
25 Feb. 2026
The Place de la République in Paris was daubed in swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans last Sunday after a neo-Nazi rally, and offices of France Unbowed have been attacked.
—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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
The burial ground and temple were unearthed when someone tried to build a drainage channel for a modern house; to prevent the dampness of visitors’ breath from damaging the extraordinary artworks daubed on the walls, entry is limited to 80 people per day.
—
Mark Ellwood,
AFAR Media,
25 Feb. 2026
The Place de la République in Paris was daubed in swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans last Sunday after a neo-Nazi rally, and offices of France Unbowed have been attacked.
—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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
-
Semi-sheer, marbled accent nails look like they’ve been stained with blackberry juice.
-
Dressing up for warmer weather can be a challenge since plush fabrics like silk can easily stain and aren’t as breathable.
Verb
-
The restaurant sources its birotes from Duran’s to make the open-face, bean and cheese-smeared breakfast sandwiches popular throughout Mexico.
-
That slows down the process of multiple shockwaves merging into larger ones and allows the atmosphere to weaken the smaller shockwaves to smear out the sharp pressure change into a more gradual increase.
Noun
-
The winning numbers for the Wednesday, June 24, Powerball drawing are 13, 14, 16, 21, 38, and the Powerball is 14.
-
The quirky chain has not officially announced the location, but a Formal Site Development Plan submitted to the city late last year included drawings identifying Trader Joe’s as the occupant.
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the Iron fire, about 70 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, blackened 63 square miles by Friday and was 26% contained, authorities said.
-
The Iron Fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected Saturday and had blackened 34 square miles (87 square kilometers), authorities said.
Verb
-
To add interest and frame the berries, the index and pinky nails are painted in pink-and-white checkers.
-
Mamdani sought to paint a picture of division in the country as a tool of the rich and powerful.
Noun
-
Vexed by the story, Gonzalez created acontemporary portrait of Katteuha.
-
This is the portrait of then-General George Washington at Valley Forge, praying for guidance when the fight for America's independence seemed lost.
Verb
-
The spoon even comes with measuring lines for a teaspoon and tablespoon, saving you from having to dirty another utensil.
-
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.
Verb
-
But the real pleasure is the 303 basslines that squirm in between the drums, coating the soundscapes of the tracks in grime and noxious soot.
-
Morning mist coated the nearby Rhone River that snakes through the Alpine valley as worshippers flocked in.
Cite this Entry
“Daub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daub. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
