1
as in staining
to make dirty
a tablecloth daubed with too many spills to ignore any longer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smearing
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
he begins his nightly transformation into a circus clown by daubing greasepaint on his face
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Recent Examples of daubing
But there is a distinction, Kutwala said, between flying flags from one’s own property and daubing paint across the town.
—
Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daubing
Verb
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Boards with deep knife grooves, cracks, or staining should be replaced because damaged areas can continue to trap bacteria even after cleaning.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
17 May 2026
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Worse yet, the black olive tree caterpillar also feeds on these galls caused by the mites, accelerating staining through its droppings.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In 2012, the gossip site Gawker, infamous for smearing conservative activists, published embarrassing footage of Hogan that had been secretly recorded and had no legitimate news value.—
George Harris,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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The pigment lasts all day without smearing.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The twins daydreamed about eating Kentucky Fried Chicken and painting their new bedrooms pink and blue.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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Sigg’s intention was always to gift the collection—a nearly 1,500-work group of Chinese contemporary art spanning everything from painting to performance and digital art—to a Chinese institution, so that it could be seen by the public.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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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
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Certain mascaras, foundations and dental flosses also use PFAS as texture or coating agents.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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Despite a mentality forged by military service, her abuelo is kind and affectionate, while her straight-shooting abuela gives her the explanation she’s long been denied for her mother’s abandonment, without sugar-coating it.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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LeBron James loves messing with that nemesis named Father Time.—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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He was seen during his Tuesday practice round messing with his shoe and sock on his right foot before ultimately calling it quits.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daubing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daubing. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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