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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Travelers beware: From vacation scams to insurance to personal safety, a few key considerations can make or break a big trip, according to industry experts.—
Gretchen Eichenberg,
Fox News,
27 Feb. 2025
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Since outbreaks of this magnitude occur infrequently, most currently practicing US physicians have never seen a case of measles, according to experts.—
Neha Mukherjee,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Born in New York City, Bongino has a master’s degree in Psychology from Queens College and a master’s in Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University.—
Julia Gomez,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Many scientists have a master’s degree in geography or a related field. 8.—
Julia Korn,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Collaborators on the project include scholars Saidiya Hartman and Christina Sharpe, who are credited on the screenplay.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2025
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The cartoonists Joe Sacco and Chris Ware pop up, as do the comics scholar Hillary Chute and J. Hoberman, who’s a longtime friend and a Times contributor.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 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
-
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
-
Manu Garcia is a wizard (and knows about them, too) Manu Garcia came to Sporting KC this offseason after Burns traveled to Greece to meet with him.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2025
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In addition to overseeing the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Dumbledore is also a powerful sorcerer, widely considered to be the greatest wizard ever.—
Rebecca Luther,
TVLine,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Jawara Alleyne Hailing from Jamaica, Jawara Alleyne is a multidisciplinary artist, creative director, and educator.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
17 Feb. 2025
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The boy’s uncles—a visual artist and an aspiring intellectual—add his own flair, while Hinterland, his flamboyant great-grandmother, played by the now 92-year-old Liliane Rovère, regales memories of her home in Odessa, Prokofiev and a life less ordinary.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Artist’s Muse and Sonic Healer: Alice Coltrane, a jazz virtuoso who devoted much of her life to a spiritual journey, is a beacon for today’s artists.—
Sarah Maslin Nir,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
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Conducted by Ruth Reinhardt, the work featured saxophone virtuoso Steven Banks in his Minnesota Orchestra debut.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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As anti-aging gurus will tell you, collagen is a large molecule that help gives skin its firm, smooth appearance.—
Alison Escalante,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Meghan McCain and Bethenny Frankel are criticizing the aspiring lifestyle guru as Mindy Kaling defended misconceptions surrounding her friend in a recent interview.—
Jay Stahl,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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