1
as in to stain
to make dirty
a tablecloth daubed with too many spills to ignore any longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 daub
Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024
The little daubs that represent passersby are miracles of characterization.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2025
Friday’s attack comes just days after red swastikas were daubed on two synagogues in the Sydney suburbs of Allawah and Newtown.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for daub
Verb
Much as the eye might want to blot out the offending image, Photoshop it out of existence and daub more verdancy onto this screen-saver panorama, the reality of human habitation, and its concomitant messiness, must be reckoned.
—Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024
The little daubs that represent passersby are miracles of characterization.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
Noun
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
Friday’s attack comes just days after red swastikas were daubed on two synagogues in the Sydney suburbs of Allawah and Newtown.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for daub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daub
Verb
-
However, the damage was done, thanks to the anchoring bias where the news broke, it was already stained in people’s memory.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
It was stained in several places, disintegrating around the edges, and already yellowing due to years of exposure to air and sunlight and, quite possibly, pipe tobacco.—
Darcy Ballantyne
July 16,
Literary Hub,
16 July 2025
Verb
-
Blood appeared to be smeared across the woman’s nose and mouth and across the sheets, according to court documents.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
-
In the video, Adira takes a special liking to the lipstick, smearing it all over her own mouth and chin, while Olympia seemed to be taking her mom’s notes on how to perfect a makeup look.—
Rachel McRady,
People.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Winning Daily 3 numbers from July 19 drawing Midday: 9-1-5 Evening: 1-2-3 Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.—
Detroit Free Press Staff,
Freep.com,
19 July 2025
-
Here’s a look at July 19, 2025, results for each game: Winning Powerball numbers from July 19 drawing 28-48-51-61-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3 Winning Cash4Life numbers from July 19 drawing 20-38-41-46-54, Cash Ball: 02 Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.—
Nicole Young,
Nashville Tennessean,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
Leaves and buds that are bitten by frost will blacken and shrivel, sometimes all over the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
-
Let skins blister and blacken, while turning peppers with tongs, until they’re evenly blackened, about 5 minutes.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
People weren’t just experimenting with color, but also with new decorating techniques—painting ceilings, color-drenching entire rooms, adding contrast to skirting boards, and even using paint to create visual zones in open spaces.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 July 2025
-
Ratings As ever with modern-day viewing, ratings can paint a mixed picture.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
There’s also a portrait of an adult Dolly in the lobby on the opposite side of the lobby.—
Robin Raven,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
These stories are not portraits of strangers, but shared moments of recognition, care, and resistance.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Crow-Armstrong has dirtied up the White Sox in six of those games, batting .458 with eight RBIs and a homer.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Except there’s a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, and coated in a puzzle.—
Irina Ivanova,
Fortune,
13 July 2025
-
Chicken and waffles are also popular, and one waffle menu item comes coated in Fruity Pebbles breakfast cereal.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Daub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daub. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share