1
as in stains
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 smears
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daubs
Verb
-
What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026 -
Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This chilling, starkly beautiful ambient piece draws Nebraska’s marginal whispers to the forefront and smears them across the picture plane.—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
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The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Above the bed is a bulletin board covered with drawings, photos and notes.—
Laura Ungar,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
-
The grid of four tiles features an illustration of a fanciful townhouse, along with drawings inspired by the comic book Archie’s Madhouse and antic cells from Donald Duck and The Katzenjammer Kids.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The New York Review of Books,
22 May 2026
Verb
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As the salmon blackens in a skillet, the spices awaken, encrusting the fish in peppery piquant.—
The Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And because there is a relatively small sample of data to analyse from a matches standpoint, England’s coaches have instead been poring over his training data, which, Tuchel says, paints a great picture.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
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The dour sentiment reading comes at a time when a large swath of data paints a picture of a resilient US economy while the stock market continues to hit new highs.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Noun
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The projects offer expansive portraits of collective life in the present.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Princess Charlotte seems to have a special bond with Orla, who joined her 7th and 8th birthday portraits in years past.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Cleaning dirt and smudges off window glass helps sunlight penetrate into your home and will boost the amount of light that’s available to your houseplants.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
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Dim sunlight smudges skies for only a few hours in the depth of winter.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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So c’mon, Bron; pull a couple of those Cleveland coats out of storage and give yourself one more real chance in Minnesota.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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This gel-like substance coats your gut and binds to cholesterol, preventing it from entering your bloodstream.—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Daubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daubs. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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