as in entertaining
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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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Recent Examples of dabbling
Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Cassie is now a bored California housewife-to-be, dabbling in OnlyFans for extra money for her blowout wedding, and Maddy, a promising talent agent with a nose for spotting clients who can make her a killing.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2026
Instead of dabbling with one-off projects, this approach is about really digging in and committing to improving your skills.
—Kate Donovan, Martha Stewart, 3 Apr. 2026
Long Rife spent the next decade attending Midwestern colleges while dabbling in other sports such as flag football and track.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dabbling
Verb
And while the on-screen action is champagne for the senses, irrepressibly bubbly and bright, its themes are on the serious side, dabbling in desperation, reinvention, and forgiveness.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Cassie is now a bored California housewife-to-be, dabbling in OnlyFans for extra money for her blowout wedding, and Maddy, a promising talent agent with a nose for spotting clients who can make her a killing.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2026
Instead of dabbling with one-off projects, this approach is about really digging in and committing to improving your skills.
—Kate Donovan, Martha Stewart, 3 Apr. 2026
Long Rife spent the next decade attending Midwestern colleges while dabbling in other sports such as flag football and track.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dabbling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbling
Adjective
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The backup competition should be entertaining to watch throughout training camp and the preseason.—
Jon Machota,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Fascist propaganda exists to cover up reality and present a glorious, entertaining show.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After decades of delighting fans with her brilliant performances in comedies like Private Benjamin, Overboard and The First Wives Club, Hawn is turning to a different medium to spread the power of positivity.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
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The rise of Bernie Sanders’ preferred Senate candidate in Michigan is frustrating moderates, delighting progressives, and testing the sway of Democratic leaders in a race that will likely determine the party’s shot at a Senate majority.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Japanese quartet take Ra’s skein of electronic noise as a starting point, wrapping it in a sizzling no wave funk beat, vocals that veer between incantatory and goofy, and bewitching mandalas of chimes and gongs.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
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Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Twin sisters Jordan and Jaedyn Gomez, playing for Boone, lost their second round individual bracket doubles match 6-0, 6-0 against Doral Academy’s top seeded duo of Payton Seidle-Lubowitz and Stefany Zamora.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The curious Moon squares expansive Jupiter, pulling you between what feels fun and what makes sense financially.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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And the Lions should be fun to watch and competitive as long as Dan Campbell is still their head coach.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The podcast added its own layer of lighthearted commentary, signaling that even those closest to the Kelce family found the coverage amusing rather than newsworthy.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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The podcast, which has become a cultural touchstone in its own right, signaled that even those closest to the Kelce family found the coverage amusing rather than newsworthy.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Still looking for their multi-million-dollar payday, the Cascios brought back Howard King and are grasping at straws through this frivolous filing.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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Due to this frivolous spending, the county now has less than two months of operating expenses on hand.—
Rebecca Jones,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The rise may seem trifling, but staffers work long hours, and a caffeine budget is a necessity.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
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The health factor is no trifling qualifier for a player who has missed time with shoulder and oblique injuries, in addition to that unfortunate incident with his pelvic floor.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbling. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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