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
All of which curious George, a dab hand at psychological manipulation, coaxes along with the gentlest of nudges.
—
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
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
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab hand
Noun
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Self-love and relationship expert Iryna Wood is redefining romance with an innovative mobile app that puts emotional awareness at the forefront.—
Emma Kershaw,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Some North Texas sectors will feel the burn more than others, experts say.—
Jaime Moore-Carrillo,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The team from Bar Mood in Taipei is taking the lead on nonalcoholic and low-ABV drinks, and master sommelier Kyungmoon Kim has put together a list of wines and sools to accompany the menu.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
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The images feature the brand’s ready-to-wear, custom and bespoke suits, the latter of which are available by appointment with the company’s master tailor.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Legal scholars have said there is little legal precedent for Trump's war on Big Law, which has created a chilling effect across the legal community, and most will certainly have a chilling effect on his opponents who will need legal representation against him.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2025
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On top of that, the Trump administration has detained some international scholars who have expressed support for Palestinian causes or criticized Israel over the war in Gaza.—
Tinbete Ermyas,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The younger Aes Sedai adept is busy learning the ways of walking in Tel’aran’rhiod, the dreamworld overlaid atop the real one and parallel to the regular, non-magical dreams most people experience.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2025
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Perhaps Sheridan’s greatest magic trick occurs on Landman, where the adept acting of Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Hamm make the case that Thornton’s oil-field fixer and Hamm’s billionaire are the true American martyrs.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Can your brain be trained to become a chart-predicting wizard?—
Dividend Channel,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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See It, Feel It, Buy It Six years after The Who released Tommy, the British rockers followed it with a 1975 film starring Roger Daltrey as the titular pinball wizard.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The festival's Sunday finale was slated to include appearances from top artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Lil Yachty, The Marías and Nathy Peluso, among others.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
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Living beyond one’s means is, in its way, the artist’s majestic revenge against the rich.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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From there, the brothers rope in a boozy harmonica virtuoso named Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), who only accepts the gig after the brothers agree to pay him in Irish beer.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
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Throughout, he’s depicted as an anxious man with big feelings, a musical virtuoso whose shame, self-esteem and addiction issues were spawned as a young child bearing witness to domestic disputes.—
Derek Scancarelli,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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He’s got long arms (33 1/2″), big hands (9 7/8″) and a prototype frame (6-4, 315) that’d give offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland plenty to work with.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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The quads feature blush, highlighter and yes, even the brand’s coveted Laguna bronzer, all packaged in stripes inspired by the umbrellas along Biarritz, France, one of the beauty guru’s most beloved destinations.—
Jackie Fields,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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