1
2
as in sprinkling
a very small amount
she added a dab of sesame oil to the dressing before pouring it on the salad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in slap
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a bear can knock a man down with a simple dab of his paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
a dab at finding unappreciated collectibles and reselling them at a considerable profit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dab
Sophie Bates The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025
Esparza The ‘Pageboy Bob’ Is Trending for Girls Who Like Soft Layers
By Fiona Embleton
If your sunburn is less of an allover situation and more of a spot-treatment job, dab concealer onto only the reddest parts of your face.
—Amber Rambharose, Glamour, 12 June 2025
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2025
While the theme of mortality is threaded throughout the film, it is also balanced with hope, appreciation and more than a dab of realism.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
His wife and lawyer dabbed their eyes several times.
—Sophie Bates The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025
Esparza The ‘Pageboy Bob’ Is Trending for Girls Who Like Soft Layers
By Fiona Embleton
If your sunburn is less of an allover situation and more of a spot-treatment job, dab concealer onto only the reddest parts of your face.
—Amber Rambharose, Glamour, 12 June 2025
Verb
Again, no need to invest in harsh ingredients—a dab of high-quality beeswax polish or a touch of mineral oil can bring back the shine.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2025
While the theme of mortality is threaded throughout the film, it is also balanced with hope, appreciation and more than a dab of realism.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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Baldoni’s countersuit, accusing her of smearing him, was dismissed last week.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
19 June 2025
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The assertion by certain anonymous users online is a typically out-of-context and absurd effort to create fake news for clicks and to smear.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Verb
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It can be pat on the skin under the eyes, but should be used with extreme care.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
14 July 2025
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As Stanway had passed back to her, the midfielder had patted the air in the universal gesture for ‘calm it down, there’s no rush’.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
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In another, an audience get to its feet to applaud a famed film director who’s accepting a prize at an awards gala, his face daubed in Indigenous face paint style.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 June 2025
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On the front steps, insults daubed in spray paint were directed at both Mayor Karen Bass and President Trump.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
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Hemp was brilliant at the Women’s World Cup the next year, having to tap in to her versatility when Sarina Wiegman changed her position.—
Karen Carney,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
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In a full-circle moment, McMahon tapped into his roots for the part, playing the Australian Prime Minister.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Thumping Afrobeats pipe through the speaker while plates of baby back ribs slathered in gochujang barbecue sauce, spicy edamame and drunken noodle chicken are placed on tables.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
3 July 2025
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Now head northeast to Memphis, birthplace of rock ‘n roll and some rockin’ pork ribs slathered in a sauce with sweet and sour notes, blended in pitch perfect harmony.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Local police ran her name through a system typically reserved for people accused of committing crimes, tipping federal authorities to her presence in Michigan.—
Dave Boucher,
Freep.com,
14 July 2025
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No one really tipped the world No. 12 for a title run on the grass, there were simply too many better players, with too much experience in this competition.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
Verb
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This year’s effort to spark dialogue over the troubling realities behind Texas’s independence from Mexico — the very center of Fiesta San Antonio’s festivities — centered around allowing people to find the message organically rather than plastering it across social accounts.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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They’re plastered all over modern entertainment in a very girly, pink and purple sort of way.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The founding line walked somberly, holding photographs and drawings of missing relatives, while the more radical marchers sang and clapped boisterously.—
Julia M. Klein,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
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In the video, Kotb, 60, can be seen clapping as a friend brings Waffles out of a car to her daughters, who are standing in their driveway waiting to meet their new furry friend.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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