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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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of dab
Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2024
The singer’s chalky complexion was soft and blurred, while her eyes were enlarged by a rim of white liner and finished with a delicate dab of gold.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 12 Sep. 2024
Allure Editors, Allure, 21 Oct. 2024
Whether stretching concealers or dabbing foundation only in trouble areas, their blending methods and techniques were impeccable.
—Stixx Mathews, Essence, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dab 
Noun
To avoid overexposure to fluoride, children younger than 3 years old should use a rice-sized dab of toothpaste, and children 3 to 6 years old should use a pea-sized amount, according to the CDC.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2024
The singer’s chalky complexion was soft and blurred, while her eyes were enlarged by a rim of white liner and finished with a delicate dab of gold.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 12 Sep. 2024
Verb
To try it at home, use a makeup sponge to dab your favorite fall nail polish color, such as Gucci Glossy Nail Polish in Peggy Sunburn, onto the center of each bare nail.
—Allure Editors, Allure, 21 Oct. 2024
Whether stretching concealers or dabbing foundation only in trouble areas, their blending methods and techniques were impeccable.
—Stixx Mathews, Essence, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
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Lila’s makeup is smeared all over her face; the windows of the apartment are wide open, the wind rattling the empty rooms.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
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Rubbing will smear the mud and cause a bigger problem.Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
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In this film, trauma trickles down through the generations, but not in the obvious or pat ways that descendants of survivors have captured it before.Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2024
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Place the seeds one-fourth of an inch apart and pat them into the soil.Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Its conclusions, though daubed with Dickensian whimsy and child’s-eye uplift, are remarkably tough and unyielding.Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
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Painterly passages that are thickly slathered, daubed, and swirled animate her surfaces as much as the animals do.Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Democrats quickly and remarkably coalesced around Harris who as vice president could seamlessly tap into Biden’s campaign funds and avoided a contested primary.Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
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Aimone designed the boutique himself and tapped Italian architects and craftspeople to help realize it.Samantha Conti, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Arguably the best part of this already popular YouTube series are the deeply thoughtful questions from Evans that his guest must answer while attempting to manage chicken wings slathered in hot sauces with names like Da Bomb and Arbol Scorpion.Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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At this second stop, dismounted cyclists walked below canopies where volunteers served unsalted Tuscan bread slathered with pomodoro or meatball sauce, or Nutella, as well as sliced bananas and pastries.Tom Mullen, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Does a teenager really operate such that a six-game suspension prospect as against a one-game suspension prospect (the NCS policy) tips the scale in his psyche in favor of exercising self-restraint?Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
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The oculus at Intuit Dome as the Clippers tip off against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23.Andrew Greif, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The workshop, where prisoners pack anti-dandruff shampoo and instant coffee for a small salary, is plastered with motivational quotes from luminaries such as Steve Jobs and Nelson Mandela.Rebecca Wright, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024
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The vehicle’s exterior is plastered with laminated prints of his poetry, manifestos, and diatribes against cell phones and pesticides.Evan Malmgren, Harper's Magazine, 21 Aug. 2024
Verb
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In a fan video shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), Swift can be seen cheering and clapping next to Donna, before pointing out someone on the field.Julie Mazziotta, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
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Members of the band then burst through the door with a galvanizing musical salute that saw audiences cheer and clap along with jovial captivating.Sam Falb, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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