dab

For the last few days, smack dab in the middle of his long-awaited breakthrough at USC, Arenas was sick.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026

"People don't realise, but cod was not the go-to fish when fish and chip shops started about 160 years ago," he said, revealing that it was dab that first made up a fish supper.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 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

“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

He wipes a dab of whipped cream from his mouth.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Those low-risk dabs and flicks, nudges and nurdles, were valuable to England on a pitch which required a batter to play the percentages.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026

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

He added dabs of bright colours with pink and orange dresses.

From Reuters ● Feb. 22, 2023

Abuela pulls out a handkerchief and dabs at her tears.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Root dabbed, cut and guided to the third man fence.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 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

Afterwards Nawat appeared at a press conference wearing a tuxedo and openly weeping as he theatrically dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief, claiming he had been "betrayed".

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025

Unencumbered by her own directorial scheme, Elliott leans into the freedom of musical storytelling, a mode in which realism is dabbed on rather than studiously applied.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2024

When we explained how we’d all agreed on the name, she dabbed the corners of her eyes and said in her thick accent, “Oh my God, I love you guys even more now!”

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

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

Then Goldberg stole the spotlight, having left her seat to take over dabbing duties from their guest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025

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

“Enough,” she said, dabbing at her cheek with the end of her tokar.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin