dab

“He can’t use his hands at all so we also have to dab him with towels. He can’t even scratch his nose.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Already in her still relatively short career, Elle Fanning has managed to position herself smack dab in the center of these two polarities, the perfect combination of classic Hollywood and new age celebrity.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026

Learning from England mistakes in Perth and his own previous troubles in Australia, Root barely scored through the covers and largely put away any intention to dab the ball behind square on the off side.

From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025

“We don’t want to live in fear, so we make ourselves useful working for organizations that move the scale away from fear and put us smack dab in the middle of love.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2025

I saw him dab at his eyes and sigh like a fond father as Laertes finally disappeared.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Iron-straight defence, dabs to third man and shuffles off the hips.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2025

We’re not talking about traditional formulaic “landscapes” of yore — SoCal tract homes swathed in lawns edged with nondescript shrubs and dabs of annual color bought at big-box nurseries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2025

Martha Stewart doesn't do warts, but Cutler edits a wry irony into the artful coverage she dabs on her blemishes, like her refusal to count her marital infidelity as equivalent to that of her husband.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2024

His voice was firm, doling out dabs of sweetness cut with the occasional thrilling yelp.

From New York Times ● Apr. 26, 2023

Cook drips tanroot oil on a square of gauze and dabs it onto the wound.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

In another, a grey-haired woman laid one hand atop the coffin while she dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

“It’s so difficult to explain,” said Gorden, now 33 and the captain at Angel City, as she dabbed at the tears with a tissue.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026

In the rear open kitchen, Manon Fleury turned humble winter produce into memorable dishes: Fried sweet-potato threads mimicked a mini funnel cake, dabbed with loquat jam.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026

It was a buccaneering innings full of trademark shots square of the wicket as he cut, dabbed, pulled and effortlessly flicked his way to three figures.

From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2024

Eberechi sniffed it and dabbed a little on her neck before she said, “I did not ask you for powder.”

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

Soon, these glasses would make him double over in laughter when she performed and cried, dabbing her eyes with tissue through the frame.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

We see through her eyes an assistant dabbing moisturizer on her hand, art installers asking where she wants a large sculpture, a man cleaning her pool who greets her.

From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026

Inside, women are dabbing moisturizers, sampling eye shadows and swabbing lipsticks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025

"You have given him the best birthday gift he could ever have," she said, dabbing away tears and occasionally pausing to collect herself.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025

Mrs. Weasley took the nasty-smelling ointment from Madam Pomfrey and began dabbing at Bill’s wounds.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling