as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
a British mystery writer who's an undisputed dab hand at building suspense
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Recent Examples of dab hand
In addition to the outfits of the characters in her famous self-portraits, American artist Cindy Sherman is also a dab hand at finds for herself.
—
Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Benedict, meanwhile, is an expert colorist, a dab hand with print who knows all about decorative drama.
—Grace McCloud, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023
Zach is a dab hand at herbal knockout potions and the occasional amateur amputation, and there’s a scene featuring the latter in which Wheatley indulges his twin tastes for deadpan comedy and head-on gross-outs to the extreme.
—BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2021
Sarah, a dab hand at deflecting sexism and maintaining her professional composure, takes the microphone and expresses her excitement at being on board.
—Justin Chang Film Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2020
That, perhaps, is a little less in the bag, but the Kremlin’s operatives are dab hands at suppressing protests and neutering the press.
—The Economist, 12 Mar. 2020
This is a very different approach to sister-in-law Kate Middleton, and Harry’s older brother, Prince William, who have so far welcomed three royal babies into the world, and are kind of a dab hand at the whole thing.
—Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, 11 Apr. 2019
The returning characters include Lucius Best/Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and steely, brilliant Edna Mode (voiced by director Bird), who turns out to be a dab hand at babysitting the literal fireball Jack-Jack.
—Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, 11 June 2018
Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Benedict, meanwhile, is an expert colorist, a dab hand with print who knows all about decorative drama.
—Grace McCloud, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023
Zach is a dab hand at herbal knockout potions and the occasional amateur amputation, and there’s a scene featuring the latter in which Wheatley indulges his twin tastes for deadpan comedy and head-on gross-outs to the extreme.
—BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2021
Sarah, a dab hand at deflecting sexism and maintaining her professional composure, takes the microphone and expresses her excitement at being on board.
—Justin Chang Film Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2020
That, perhaps, is a little less in the bag, but the Kremlin’s operatives are dab hands at suppressing protests and neutering the press.
—The Economist, 12 Mar. 2020
This is a very different approach to sister-in-law Kate Middleton, and Harry’s older brother, Prince William, who have so far welcomed three royal babies into the world, and are kind of a dab hand at the whole thing.
—Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, 11 Apr. 2019
The returning characters include Lucius Best/Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and steely, brilliant Edna Mode (voiced by director Bird), who turns out to be a dab hand at babysitting the literal fireball Jack-Jack.
—Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, 11 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab hand
Noun
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But experts say detection software can misidentify writing as AI-generated.—
Rachel Hale,
USA TODAY,
22 Jan. 2025
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But she’s quoted as a mental health expert all over the internet.—
Ashley Abramson,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Vahe was an English major at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his master’s degree at Mizzou.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
19 Jan. 2025
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Camila graduated from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in mass communication.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacramento Bee,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Most presidents have tried the same thing Historically, most presidents and their advisers – and indeed most scholars – have agreed that government bureaucracy is not designed in ways that promote efficiency.—
Jennifer Selin,
The Conversation,
24 Jan. 2025
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Although a sharp debate broke out among scholars, and the courts soon got involved, the program, in its essence, survived the controversy.—
Stephen L. Carter,
The Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Around him, dense as a swarm of tiny insects, float tiny images of fellow adepts engaged in all manner of outré shenanigans.—
Holland Cotter,
New York Times,
26 Dec. 2024
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Naomi Goggin Switch to island time—and expect transportation snafus Even with two planners, and a bride adept at project management, there was one logistical hurdle that was tough to cross: local transportation.—
Kaitlin Menza,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Ichiro Suzuki, a wizard of sport and style, nearly cleared both yesterday.—
Chris Branch,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
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Or a witch or wizard standing over a cauldron concocting life-altering potions.—
Simone Milasas,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Members of the Community Brigade, a cowboy collective of friends, neighbors, artists, and parents from the Malibu area.—
Emma Marie Jenkinson,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2025
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This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music from artists including Cazzu, J Balvin, Danny Ocean, and Alejandro Sanz’s first collaborative effort with Grupo Frontera, to name a few.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The beloved organ virtuoso died on Tuesday morning at 87, near Woodstock, New York — just a few miles down the road from Big Pink, the house where the Band and Bob Dylan transformed music history just by jamming in the basement.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
21 Jan. 2025
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While Fujii is well-known for singing along to his own virtuoso accompaniment on the piano, his dance performances also showcase his star power.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This is likely because Miller isn’t, or wasn’t, a marketing guru, but a practitioner.—
Tim Maurer,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
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In January 2021, the grooming guru shared details about their meet-cute.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near dab hand
Cite this Entry
“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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