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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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of dab
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
In some cases, Dr. Zeichner says that dryness inside your nose could also disrupt your skin barrier and possibly irritate your zit—which is why adding a bit of hydration (with a small dab of petroleum jelly or a gentle, noncomedogenic cream) can help soothe the spot.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Nov. 2024
Christina Coulter, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Next, dab your sponge in the water and get to scrubbing.
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dab 
Noun
Prepare the Garment for Washing Use a dab of wool wash to pretreat stains.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
In some cases, Dr. Zeichner says that dryness inside your nose could also disrupt your skin barrier and possibly irritate your zit—which is why adding a bit of hydration (with a small dab of petroleum jelly or a gentle, noncomedogenic cream) can help soothe the spot.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Motta, who allegedly filed the fraudulent claims and suits after the crashes, dabbed her eyes in court and pleaded not guilty on Monday, Nola.com reported.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Next, dab your sponge in the water and get to scrubbing.
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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In the Mecklenburg County jail, he was accused of assaulting guards, breaking sprinklers, and smearing feces on his cell walls.—
Kallie Cox,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Jan. 2025
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The peanut pesto smearing the fish hits all the flavor notes: umami from the fish sauce, caramelly sweetness from the brown sugar, and brightness from the lime juice.—
Megan Zhang,
Saveur,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Some also prefer to apply toners directly to your (clean!) palms and/or fingers and gently pat in your formula of choice.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
19 Jan. 2025
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During a commercial break, the man on the couch patted Burrell’s shoulder and offered his condolences.—
Michael Gordon,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Jan. 2025
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.—
Tanvi Chheda,
AFAR Media,
17 Jan. 2025
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Friday’s attack comes just days after red swastikas were daubed on two synagogues in the Sydney suburbs of Allawah and Newtown.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Click or tap each level to reveal one of the words in that category.—
New York Times Games,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
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Then, in September 2024, the UFC tapped Moicano for the first main event of his UFC career against Benoît Saint Denis.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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If your skin is resilient and tolerates actives well, Aguilar is a big fan of slathering on antioxidants—including glutathione.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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From daily exfoliation to slathering on a number of potions with highly potent active ingredients, these winter skin care products allow my skin to thrive against all odds.—
Claire Sullivan,
WWD,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Beach recalled hearing a message on his home answering machine tipping him off to a hot booking at the club.—
Thom Duffy,
Billboard,
27 Jan. 2025
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This winter barren streak has tipped Jackson into the xG red for 2024-25 too, failing to add to his Premier League tally from chances with an xG value of 2.5.—
Liam Twomey,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The policy specifically calls out search-manipulating techniques such as listing multiple extensions that provide the same experience or plastering extension descriptions with loosely related or unrelated keywords.—
Dan Goodin,
Ars Technica,
8 Jan. 2025
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The Parental Advisory sticker plastered onto the video is edited to have a timestamp of 9:30 at the top, indicating when the music was set to drop.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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At one point, Warren clapped and threw her arm up straight, following it with a wave.—
John Yoo and John Shu,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
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An accordionist spurred the crowd of about 150 to dance, clap or yelp bird caws in approval.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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