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
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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
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The drawings will be conducted to determine the first four picks, and the remaining lottery teams will select in positions five through 14 in reverse order of their 2025-26 regular-season records.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
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Most applications will likely include supporting materials such as photos, drawings, site plans, and color samples.—
Nicole R. Kurtz,
Miami Herald,
7 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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The data actually paints a surprisingly hopeful picture of humankind, proving that our baseline is a profound desire to understand the world and help each other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
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The map sequence above paints a vivid picture of Irish language retreat.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 May 2026
Noun
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The imagery, made in Haiti, New York, Florida, and her current home of Los Angeles, uses both personal, documentary photographs and more surreal, formal portraits to link Cadet’s personal history to a broader meditation on the Black diasporic experience.—
Elly Fishman,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
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Artists in the 18th century would often include a person of color, who would sometimes be imaginary, in their portraits of wealthy white sitters to embellish the painting and highlight the high status of the main subject, according to the researchers.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
8 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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Ngo coats the nail with a matte primer, which creates a smooth base, before buffing eye shadow across the surface with a nail sponge.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Algae coats the native eelgrass.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Daubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daubs. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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