as in delighted
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 dabbled
Outside of her modeling career, she’s dabbled in acting, appearing in a 2019 episode of grown-ish and starring in 2020 BET+ film Trigger.
—
Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 June 2026
Specialized dabbled in tandems around the same time.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 1 June 2026
He's also dabbled in entrepreneurship in the wellness and tech spaces.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Still, if men have never dabbled into the makeup world before, knowing where to start can be quite overwhelming—not to mention confusing.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 22 May 2026
Toboni grew up in San Francisco as a baseball and basketball player who dabbled with the idea of playing both sports at an Ivy League school.
—Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Clark likely dabbled in the TCC.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
Over the course of his career, Drake has often embodied his Champagne Papi persona and dabbled with Latin music, working with some of the genre’s biggest stars.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
The performer has dabbled in fashion and writing, too, releasing her fitness clothing line CALIA by Carrie in 2015 and her New York Times best-selling book Find Your Path five years later.
—Ilana Frost, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 June 2026
Specialized dabbled in tandems around the same time.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 1 June 2026
He's also dabbled in entrepreneurship in the wellness and tech spaces.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Still, if men have never dabbled into the makeup world before, knowing where to start can be quite overwhelming—not to mention confusing.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 22 May 2026
Toboni grew up in San Francisco as a baseball and basketball player who dabbled with the idea of playing both sports at an Ivy League school.
—Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Clark likely dabbled in the TCC.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
Over the course of his career, Drake has often embodied his Champagne Papi persona and dabbled with Latin music, working with some of the genre’s biggest stars.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
The performer has dabbled in fashion and writing, too, releasing her fitness clothing line CALIA by Carrie in 2015 and her New York Times best-selling book Find Your Path five years later.
—Ilana Frost, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbled
Verb
-
The Tates were delighted by their enforcers.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
King delighted fans with his memorable calls and nicknames.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
On day one, guests tour Villa Santo Sospir, formerly owned by socialite Francine Weisweiller, who entertained Cocteau, Picasso, and Yves Saint Laurent.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Best hopping balls for indoor and outdoor use Hopper balls are a fun way to keep children entertained and make adults feel like kids again.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The game was played in Texas but Knicks fans gathered at watch parties across the city to witness the team battle back in the fourth quarter to take the title.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Although the championship-clinching game was played thousands of miles away, police maintained a large presence around Madison Square Garden, the Knicks' home arena.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The 59-year-old's criticisms included questioning how Kara Zor-El's ears could be pierced if her skin is bulletproof, and being amused after someone online compared Alcock's appearance to an ape-looking character from Land of the Lost.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
-
Rodríguez González was particularly amused by the daily musical interlude.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Meek lives with her dad, Smooch (Will Cobbs), a former Black Panther who now runs a roller rink, and her not-to-be-trifled-with grandma, Puddin (Lizan Mitchell).—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbled. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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