dabs 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of dab
1
as in jabs
a quick thrust one more quick dab of the brush and he would be finished with his painting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in splashes
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 swipes
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

dabs

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of dab, chiefly British
as in experts
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

dabs

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of dab
1
as in smears

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in taps

Related Words

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 dabs
Noun
There’s heat to be found in bites with salsa, dabs of hot sauce and, to a lesser degree, the seasoning of the chicken. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 Smoking was the most common mode of marijuana use, followed by edibles, vaping, dabs, waxes and concentrates, the study found. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 The final version mostly holds itself together, though the front bezel requires either some electrical tape or a couple dabs of superglue to stay attached. — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026 Every page had its own illustration in an airy line-drawing style, with dabs of pastel color. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 June 2026 The component parts include herself, a fashionable, high-ish brow, and maybe trashy auteur (Abel Ferrara, Olivier Assayas, Catherine Breillat, her own dad), a strong genre element, and dabs of very deliberate provocation. — David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026 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 Among the other standouts are Klimt’s Blooming Meadow (1908)—a sea of green grass and trees flecked with blue, yellow, and pink dabs of wildflowers—and six figurative bronzes by Matisse. — Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2025 The 132 rooms have welcome dabs of color—royal blue desk chairs and headboards and pink and white curtains. — Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabs
  1. jabs
  2. splashes
  3. swipes
  4. experts
  5. smears
  6. taps
  7. punches
  8. sprinklings
Noun
  • In 2025, a Kentucky man was killed after he was hit 27 times with a GLOVE by jail employees, on top of 13 jabs from a taser, which ultimately sent him into cardiac arrest.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Curt Cignetti does not shy away from conflict, as seen at Big Ten Media Days with his SEC jabs, and now with his scheduling comments about Notre Dame.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of jabs
Noun
  • Built in a distinctively analog way, the rooms create the illusion of endless space through the use of light, mirrors and splashes of color.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The company has built a reputation in the investment world for backing companies that have made big splashes, including Uber, Waymo and Discord.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of splashes
Noun
  • Their swipes at one another have escalated so much that the sitting president has threatened to take away O’Donnell’s citizenship.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026
  • With fewer options to switch lanes in the roundabout, there are fewer opportunities for unsafe lane changes to result in side-swipes.
    — Rose Evans August 16, Idaho Statesman, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of swipes
Noun
  • Industry experts generally expect crude oil and LNG tankers to be granted priority clearance due to their criticality to global energy supplies, while container ships and other cargo vessels may face longer wait times.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In recent studies by AccuWeather experts, excessive rainfall can contribute to insect and fungus damage in parts of Pennsylvania, which may lead to duller colors and earlier leaf drop.
    — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of experts
Verb
  • Darker smears around the crater’s rim contain surface rocks and lunar dust called regolith previously altered by solar winds, micrometeorites, and cosmic radiation over an extended period of time.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The atmosphere works on them a little bit harder and reduces their strength and smears them a little bit more.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of smears
Verb
  • Today the program, led by Lucinda Vette, extends far beyond riding and taps deeply into the way the animals respond to the feelings and intentions of the Miraval participants.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
  • How a smart toilet works Most of these devices activate the moment a user taps a fingerprint sensor to start a session.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of taps
Noun
  • No punches were thrown, and Oruwariye and Knight were separated quickly.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • During Monday’s press conference, Bessent sought to tamp down on criticism that the administration was pulling its punches.
    — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of punches
Noun
  • My grandmother’s version typically called just for the addition of generous sprinklings of Lawry’s garlic salt and black pepper—and that’s it.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Definition of sprinklings

Browse Nearby Words

dab hands
dabs
dacha
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Cite this Entry

“Dabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabs. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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