Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Once viewers had dabbed away their tears, they wagered enough money to make her the 2-1 favorite at PaddyPower.com, a popular bookmaker.

From New York Times • Sep. 27, 2019

As if someone had dabbed it with red paint.

From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke

She had dabbed on his Old Spice that morning, impulsively, and didn’t tell him because he would laugh.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Mom had dabbed some flesh-colored powder around my black eye, and she must have done a good job because Miles Umlatt didn’t seem to notice.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

If a house-painter had dabbed his brush of green paint on your Van Dyke, you might be stunned by this very audacity, and turn your pet picture to the wall.

From A Breeze from the Woods, 2nd Ed. by Bartlett, William Chauncey