as in delighting
to take part in an activity in a superficial way
She dabbled in drawing and painting but sculpture was her favorite medium.
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as in entertaining
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dabbling
Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Apr. 2025
Whether sweeping hair into elegant updos for Keke Palmer, slicking down tendrils for Noah Cyrus’ wet looks, or dabbling in vibrant and bold colors, creativity is always the goal.
—Jessica Fields, Essence, 2 Apr. 2025
Thanks to wetland protections, dabbling and diving duck populations have jumped 24% since 1970, while waterbirds are up 16% nationwide, per the report.
—Meira Gebel, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
Jones, who has carved out a life as an investor and businessman since retiring from the NFL in 2011, says that’s the beauty of free agency and aligning with an organization that finds dabbling in other ventures mutually beneficial.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dabbling
Adjective
Although the brand is nearly all women’s apparel, shoes and bags, Paloma Wool has also begun dabbling in men’s.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Apr. 2025
Whether sweeping hair into elegant updos for Keke Palmer, slicking down tendrils for Noah Cyrus’ wet looks, or dabbling in vibrant and bold colors, creativity is always the goal.
—Jessica Fields, Essence, 2 Apr. 2025
Thanks to wetland protections, dabbling and diving duck populations have jumped 24% since 1970, while waterbirds are up 16% nationwide, per the report.
—Meira Gebel, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
Jones, who has carved out a life as an investor and businessman since retiring from the NFL in 2011, says that’s the beauty of free agency and aligning with an organization that finds dabbling in other ventures mutually beneficial.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dabbling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbling
Verb
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Now Olive is delighting thousands of complete strangers, after a video of her sharing her smile went viral.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
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From edgy indies to blockbuster crowd-pleasers, prestige Oscar bait to experimental movies, Van Sant has spent the past 40 years delighting, surprising and confounding his audience.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sweep guest rooms, guest bathrooms, formal entertaining spaces, and other parts of the home that are used infrequently at least once a month.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
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Her mother didn’t especially love to decorate, but Charlotte was inspired by her grandmother, who created a warm, welcoming home and made entertaining look easy.—
Sid Evans,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Though his interests were that of a pretty typical child — computing and gaming, playing the saxophone, enjoying soccer and time with his pets — he was also known for his acts of kindness and generosity.—
Lauren Costantino
September 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
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The Chiefs also were playing without rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals, who is recovering from an injury.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hope Anne is goofy, affectionate, full of zest, and has so much love to give.—
Trish Stinger,
Kansas City Star,
2 Sep. 2025
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Gangly giraffes punctuated the grasslands like goofy exclamation points.—
The Editors,
Outside,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Manning says the most fun part of filming the funny video was getting to sport some facial hair.—
Erin Clements,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Would parity be more fun than the usual suspects dominating the high school football landscape every year?—
Cecil Joyce,
The Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The debate may indeed seem frivolous and one of luxury to many, but come next May, MIA will take it up a notch.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
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Justice Defenders operates with a combination of federal money and in-kind ABA contributions, using the funds to support human rights defenders facing criminal charges, frivolous lawsuits and harassment.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Still, both the hot water heater and the wind turbine wing highlight the less amusing reality of maritime debris.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
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This is a unique portrait of families and their foibles, both amusing and annoying, superbly acted by an exceptional cast fully inhabiting their characters.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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