1
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dab
Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
Encouraging your kid to brush their teeth twice a day, with a dab of fluoride toothpaste, will guard against cavities.
—Barrie Gillies, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
For liquid solutions, dab it onto clean skin with a cotton pad.
—Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dab
Noun
Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
Encouraging your kid to brush their teeth twice a day, with a dab of fluoride toothpaste, will guard against cavities.
—Barrie Gillies, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
Then, use a makeup sponge to dab pink into the center of the nail for an aura effect.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
For liquid solutions, dab it onto clean skin with a cotton pad.
—Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab
Verb
-
Later on, Firecracker was tasked with addressing her church's destruction on television and smeared their reputation, betraying her former life and beliefs.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
To be sure, much of the criticism originated from a local blog that was simply looking to smear Tubbs with exaggerated claims.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kids love the hands-on steps here — scooping soil, patting it down around the plants and writing Grandma’s name on a tag.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Kimmel, always happy to pat himself on the back, agreed.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Mark Ellwood,
AFAR Media,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The Place de la République in Paris was daubed in swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans last Sunday after a neo-Nazi rally, and offices of France Unbowed have been attacked.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On the 265th pitch of their April 17 game, when the Baltimore Orioles needed some late-inning fortune, Leody Taveras tapped his helmet.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
These days, some innovative school districts and nonprofit groups are trying to help students labeled EBD by tapping Medicaid money for therapy and family support, providing what are called wraparound services to get students with EBD back into mainstream classes.—
Laurie Stern,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lagomarsini slathered the oxtails with the glaze, which was dangerously sticky.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Our Test Kitchen turned this classic dessert into a rich vanilla ice cream slathered with homemade strawberry sauce.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Flagg and Knueppel traded places as betting favorites during the season, but Flagg’s 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales.—
Schuyler Dixon,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Despite their reservations, the guests tip a whopping $28,000, which comes out to $2,100 each.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To celebrate, the president wants to offer free admissions that day to the country’s national parks, a self-serving gesture, no doubt, but one that is no surprise for a man who spent much of his adult life plastering his name on the sides of buildings, airplanes and casino hotels.—
Leonard Greene,
Mercury News,
27 Dec. 2025
-
In one scene, Gracie Abrams texts Taylor a picture of the singer plastered on the side of a hotel in Indianapolis.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
No one had to be told to clap their hands for Babe Ruth or Joe DiMaggio.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
My father clapped his shoulder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
