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as in sprinkling
a very small amount she added a dab of sesame oil to the dressing before pouring it on the salad
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dab
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026 Smack dab in the middle of the media capital of the world, surrounded by blocks and blocks of good restaurants and fine wine and sights to see, the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs couldn’t get away. —Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Feb. 2026
Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026 For liquid solutions, dab it onto clean skin with a cotton pad. —Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
Grease and Food Stains Wet a microfiber cloth with hot water and place a dab of dishwashing liquid on the cloth. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026 Smack dab in the middle of the media capital of the world, surrounded by blocks and blocks of good restaurants and fine wine and sights to see, the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs couldn’t get away. —Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
Then, use a makeup sponge to dab pink into the center of the nail for an aura effect. —Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026 For liquid solutions, dab it onto clean skin with a cotton pad. —Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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Many told me the liberal media had smeared them as racists, xenophobes and misogynists.— Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
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Lawyers for MacInnes have accused Wilson of hiring Melissa Nathan, the American publicist of The Agency Group, to launch websites that smeared Ghost.— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kimmel, always happy to pat himself on the back, agreed.— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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Next to Hofferth, Adam Johnson patted a projector.— Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The burial ground and temple were unearthed when someone tried to build a drainage channel for a modern house; to prevent the dampness of visitors’ breath from damaging the extraordinary artworks daubed on the walls, entry is limited to 80 people per day.— Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 25 Feb. 2026
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The Place de la République in Paris was daubed in swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans last Sunday after a neo-Nazi rally, and offices of France Unbowed have been attacked.— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pete Crow-Armstrong dashed from third base, tapped the plate and then darted to the fans behind home, jumping on the railing against the netting to celebrate the Chicago Cubs’ walk-off, extra-innings, 2-1 win over the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.— Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
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In the second half, Pereyra hit a long diagonal to Chancalay, who gently brought it down with a first touch and dished it for Kelvin Yeboah to tap in.— Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Layer some slices of cooked tempeh onto whole-grain toast slathered with ripe avocado.— Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 14 Apr. 2026
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Frankie slathered a plain Italian roll with Cheez Whiz, just like his father liked to do.— Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Donovan didn’t tip his hand in the final days of the season about a potential decision to leave or stay.— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
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Moments before the ball was tipped ahead of the Phoenix Suns’ Game 1 trouncing, Dillon Brooks ran his fingers over the grooves of the game ball the way starters tend to.— Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 20 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
Verb
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Cherry climbed onto the chair, clapping.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
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Beaming from ear to ear, he was seen clapping before then removing his cap to salute Johnson during her interview.— Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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