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
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Recent Examples of dab
Alison Syrett Cleary, Glamour, 18 Dec. 2025
Secure the felt to the straw with a small dab of glue and add to your drinks.
—Janna Oberdorf, Parents, 15 Dec. 2025
Janna Oberdorf, Parents, 15 Dec. 2025
Once the area is clean, dab the Persian rug with clean water to remove soap.
—Jennifer Beck Goldblatt, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
In a Venn diagram of waistband lengths, this comfy silhouette lands smack dab in the crowd-pleasing middle.
—Alison Syrett Cleary, Glamour, 18 Dec. 2025
Secure the felt to the straw with a small dab of glue and add to your drinks.
—Janna Oberdorf, Parents, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
Use a sponge brush to dab paint on the spool.
—Janna Oberdorf, Parents, 15 Dec. 2025
Once the area is clean, dab the Persian rug with clean water to remove soap.
—Jennifer Beck Goldblatt, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
-
The vacuum cleaner has powerful suction, and the mop cleans without sloshing and smearing water on the floor.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Trudeau wrapped his other arm around Hadrien, who had smeared fake blood on the side of his face.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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First of all, pat yourself on the back for being productive and doing some good in your community.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Olie continued to pat Aisha’s shoulder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ryvchin, whose former home was daubed with antisemitic language and cars were set alight earlier this year, said both Australia’s federal government and provincial leaders in the state of New South Wales had failed to act on proposals to curb antisemitic violence.—
Katie Silver,
NBC news,
25 Dec. 2025
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The walls at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami are daubed with rosy-red pigment from the Cochineal, a cactus-dwelling insect her mother would harvest and sell in her hometown of Ayacucho, Peru.—
Douglas Markowitz,
Miami Herald,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Also popular are small-batch brews with members of a home brew club or another small group bringing their own recipe, brewing it on site and participating in a tapping event to showcase their creation.—
Janice Phelan,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
To switch to your AirPods for voice input, swipe down from the top right of the display to open Control Center, then tap on the green bar at the top of the screen.—
David Nield,
Popular Science,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bear in mind, however, that some things aren’t worth the risk such as getting sunburned after slathering on old sunscreen or developing a rash from a skin serum that’s gone bad.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Dec. 2025
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Still, the findings hint at the possibility that eating vitamin C—not just slathering it on—could play a role in healthier-looking skin.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Given this week’s rally, certain stocks have tipped into overbought territory and could see a dip in the near term.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Washington’s neutrality preserved the republic’s future, enabling economic expansion under the funding system Hamilton designed, territorial growth through the Louisiana Purchase and beyond, and eventual emergence as a great power capable of tipping global balances.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One version of Scanlon’s blinking face has been viewed more than 6 billion times on Giphy alone, plastered in chat rooms, text messages and social media posts.—
Cristian Santana,
NBC news,
27 Sep. 2025
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But his home operation finally took off when the school newspaper ran a profile on his cookie-peddling scheme, plastering the story on the front page.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hays said in a November interview, pretending to clap like a seal.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
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The dancers wove through the crowd as others clapped along in raucous celebration.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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