as in to smear
to put a thick layer of a liquid, cream, etc. over (something)
We ate lobster slathered with butter. She slathered her skin with sunscreen.
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Dissimilar Words
as in gobs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slather
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Look at him carrying his baby to the park, to the market, to the playground; tying a bonnet to her head; slathering her plump pink arms with organic sunblock.
—Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
It’s used to glaze brisket or slather over ribs, adding heat and tang in equal measure.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slather
Verb
Nečas slathered on an empty-netter with two seconds left, getting one back from earlier in the game.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Look at him carrying his baby to the park, to the market, to the playground; tying a bonnet to her head; slathering her plump pink arms with organic sunblock.
—Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
But the rocket-to-the-moon additions are fresh cilantro, sharp scallions and red onion, a pile of pickled cucumber, and a huge slather of Mommy Pai’s spicy, mega-garlicky nam prik noom sauce, which is neon-green with pounded chiles.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
It’s used to glaze brisket or slather over ribs, adding heat and tang in equal measure.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slather
Verb
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Clearly, the presence of sugar was no deterrent, as the dog appeared to have enthusiastically investigated the fallen bag, emerging with powdered evidence smeared across his face.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said a man hurled pages of the Quran and smeared feces on the door of the mosque.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The iPhone maker isn’t spending gobs of cash in the race to expand AI computing capacity, instead partnering with Google to power artificial intelligence features.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
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There are gobs of money to be made selling enterprise software, but dulling the impact of AI is also a useful feint.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He was asked to anoint one member of his congregation, a Guatemalan immigrant who worked at a local meatpacking plant and often came to the church before work to pray.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
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In a city that continually anoints anoints new noteworthies in the hospitality space, The Connaught remains one of London’s long-lasting greats.—
Katharine Sohn,
Architectural Digest,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The film adds a slew of new voice actors to the mix, like Brie Larson as Rosalina (sounding, perhaps, a little too much like Taylor-Joy’s Peach) and Donald Glover as Yoshi, a chaotic and enjoyable addition to the gang.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Deli Boys will return with its second season to Hulu on May 28, which will also feature a slew of new recurring and guest stars.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Helpers regularly hand out paper tissues for people to dab away tears.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Use a small brush to dab pollen from the outer stamens to the center blossom to mimic pollination.—
Lauren Wellbank,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This results in a fully transparent, flexible film that combines both sensing technologies in a single ultra-thin stack while maintaining optical clarity and light transmission.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
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Following a moderated conversation, there will be a screening of Lynne’s new film Every Contact Leaves a Trace, a rumination of memory and assumptions using as inspiration a stack of business cards collected over 40 years.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To celebrate, the president wants to offer free admissions that day to the country’s national parks, a self-serving gesture, no doubt, but one that is no surprise for a man who spent much of his adult life plastering his name on the sides of buildings, airplanes and casino hotels.—
Leonard Greene,
Mercury News,
27 Dec. 2025
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In one scene, Gracie Abrams texts Taylor a picture of the singer plastered on the side of a hotel in Indianapolis.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Mendoza will mark the best moment of his life by hugging NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and throwing on the New Era 2026 NFL Draft On Stage Pre-Curved 9FIFTY Snapback Hat in Black and Silver, with a pile of skulls printed on the inside, as seen here.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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San Jose didn’t follow through on the threats to take ownership of the property, but the city did use the receiver to coax the owner to bulldoze the property and remove piles of fire-scarred debris from the empty lots.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slather. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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