1
as in to stain
to make dirty
a tablecloth daubed with too many spills to ignore any longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to smear
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
he begins his nightly transformation into a circus clown by daubing greasepaint on his face
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in drawing
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of daub
Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
One church staffer presses a Bible to her forehead while another daubs her stomach with a pocket-size vial of holy oil.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024
Rory Smith, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Also on the red carpet tonight before Tom Tykwer’s opening film Das Licht (The Light), multiple protestors formed another protest, wearing masks and raising hands daubed in what seemed to be red paint.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for daub
Verb
After another row or two, Daignault’s canvases become increasingly abstract, finally dissolving into blurred daubs of color against black fields.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
One church staffer presses a Bible to her forehead while another daubs her stomach with a pocket-size vial of holy oil.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024
Noun
Their victorious players meander over, gathering in front of a chainlink fence draped with handmade banners daubed in the dark green and deep burgundy of Mohun Bagan, India’s great footballing powerhouse.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Also on the red carpet tonight before Tom Tykwer’s opening film Das Licht (The Light), multiple protestors formed another protest, wearing masks and raising hands daubed in what seemed to be red paint.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for daub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daub
Verb
-
While there’s no secret deodorant conspiracy at play, there is a reason for the difference—certain types of deodorant are more prone to staining than others.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
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Police said Smirnova’s hospital gown and legs were also stained with blood.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mash it up, smear it on toast, toss it in a salad, or eat it straight.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Good luck trying not to smear and stain your clothes, sheets, and furniture.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In Florida, the winners of drawing games have about six months to cash in, according to lottery officials.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
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On another wall is Chris Drury’s rather beautiful circular drawing made from dust and ash.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The menu is global and playful, yet reliable, with some classic North American restaurant staples (hummus, $21, fish tacos, $23 for two, and Cajun blackened chicken, $39) and some Asian and Latin American inspired dishes (sake glazed Chilean seabass, $51, truffle udon carbonara, $27).—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
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Some discolored areas on the bones that were not charred may have been blackened by smoke exposure, according to the study.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Red and white English flags have proliferated along streets and been painted on roads.—
Vitalii Yalahuzian,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The only scuffing—on shop doors, on the walls of the Métro—had been artfully painted on to make the scenery look appropriately aged.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Both his African heritage and his new exploration of the verisimilitudes and vagaries of New York City life paint the ongoing development of The Watchman, sometimes featured as the key figure as in the monumental portrait, AH!—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Toward the end of the colonial period, portrait photography records yet another cultural shift.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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Some were prosthetic buttocks, but others were people’s own buttocks, but in various states, like dirtied down and with partial covering.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
Verb
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They are made of billions of small chunks of ice and rock coated with other materials such as dust.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Stock image of a frying pan coated with beef tallow.—
Toby Meyjes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Daub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daub. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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