as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
a British mystery writer who's an undisputed dab hand at building suspense
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Recent Examples of dab hand
All of which curious George, a dab hand at psychological manipulation, coaxes along with the gentlest of nudges.
—
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Benedict, meanwhile, is an expert colorist, a dab hand with print who knows all about decorative drama.
—Grace McCloud, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023
Zach is a dab hand at herbal knockout potions and the occasional amateur amputation, and there’s a scene featuring the latter in which Wheatley indulges his twin tastes for deadpan comedy and head-on gross-outs to the extreme.
—BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2021
That, perhaps, is a little less in the bag, but the Kremlin’s operatives are dab hands at suppressing protests and neutering the press.
—The Economist, 12 Mar. 2020
In addition to the outfits of the characters in her famous self-portraits, American artist Cindy Sherman is also a dab hand at finds for herself.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Benedict, meanwhile, is an expert colorist, a dab hand with print who knows all about decorative drama.
—Grace McCloud, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023
Zach is a dab hand at herbal knockout potions and the occasional amateur amputation, and there’s a scene featuring the latter in which Wheatley indulges his twin tastes for deadpan comedy and head-on gross-outs to the extreme.
—BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2021
That, perhaps, is a little less in the bag, but the Kremlin’s operatives are dab hands at suppressing protests and neutering the press.
—The Economist, 12 Mar. 2020
In addition to the outfits of the characters in her famous self-portraits, American artist Cindy Sherman is also a dab hand at finds for herself.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab hand
Noun
-
Many have significant reservations about the safety and efficacy of the COVID vaccine, despite assurances from most experts that the benefits outweigh the risks.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
-
While Thursday’s vote against the combo shot may seem like a small tweak, experts said the fact that the panel was revisiting older vaccines can erode confidence in the overall vaccine process.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Brown's former master distiller left his job at a grocery store and returned to bourbon making for a few months each year during the final chapter of Prohibition.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Sep. 2025
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These roles typically require a master’s degree but offer starting salaries in the $50,000-$70,000 range with significant growth potential.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Emirati youth delegations visited Israel; Israeli and Emirati scholars co-presented their work at conferences all over Abu Dhabi; and festive meals were served following the Jewish and Islamic dietary laws when Passover and Ramadan overlapped.—
Monica Marks,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
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Baskin, a scholar of Rabbinic literature and former president of the Association for Jewish Studies, here offers a straightforward, clear introduction to the field of Jewish Studies in the United States and Canada, covering many of the key aspects and issues.—
Josh Lambert,
JSTOR Daily,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
An effective trustee is skilled in conflict resolution and adept at maintaining open communication while prioritizing the trust’s objectives.—
Royce Ramey,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Slot shares this staple of Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglou’s attacking principles, with Porro adept at tucking inside to disrupt the opposition shape.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This rendition of the beloved franchise follows the Smurfs on a mission to save Papa Smurf, who was stolen by evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Look for an enrollment wizard through notifications and in Settings, Microsoft says.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The organization's mission includes creating opportunities for artists of all ages and backgrounds, Jordan told gala guests.—
Carin Schoppmeyer,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Guided in part by virtual world building sessions hosted by the organization in which the public was invited to imagine a future where reparations as a policy has already happened and given way to a culture of repair, six leading Afrofuturist artists envision 2165 Earth.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Scattered across other programs are such surefire wonders as the Russian ballerina Olga Smirnova, and the gliding virtuoso Lil Buck interpreting a gospel hymn with the bass-baritone Davoné Tines.—B.S. (City Center; Sept. 16-27.) Pick Three Rachel Syme on movies with a sense of style.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
12 Sep. 2025
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MetLiveArts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s performing arts series, will kick off its 2025-2026 season tomorrow night with a program featuring pipa virtuoso Wu Man.—
Jane Levere,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For Wentz, the positives to being able to start for a quarterback guru like Kevin O'Connell are fairly obvious.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Kevin O’Connell is an offense coach and a guru on that end of the field.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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