DAB HAND Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

dab hand

noun

Definition of dab hand

chiefly British

as in expert

a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field a British mystery writer who's an undisputed dab hand at building suspense

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dab hand The actor and director remains a dab hand at occasion dressing. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025 All of which curious George, a dab hand at psychological manipulation, coaxes along with the gentlest of nudges. — Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 Van Norden, a dab hand with Shakespeare, is a natural for Shaw. — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024 Zach is a dab hand at herbal knockout potions and the occasional amateur amputation, and there’s a scene featuring the latter in which Wheatley indulges his twin tastes for deadpan comedy and head-on gross-outs to the extreme. — BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2021 In addition to the outfits of the characters in her famous self-portraits, American artist Cindy Sherman is also a dab hand at finds for herself. — Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dab hand

Noun

Several outside experts agreed with him, calling the methods state-of-the-art.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Legal experts have echoed those concerns, noting that relying on the NVRA’s general preamble language to halt state election certification lacks precedent.

— Hugh Son, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of expert

Noun

After college, Lincoln earned a master’s degree in art history from the University of Delaware in 1972, concentrating on 20th century art and classical art.

— Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Don’t miss wearable glass costumes, an interactive botanical soundscape, glowing geometric light sanctuaries, and works by Dale Chihuly and other modern masters.

— Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of master

Noun

During that period and beyond, Hawthorne kept a series of notebooks, which scholars see as an important primary source for understanding the ideas and descriptions that informed his early writings and later novels.

— Robert S. Levine, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
For decades, hundreds of thousands of its objects were available only to scholars and curators.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of scholar

Noun

Still, the question of what Ebel was doing with his adepts swept through Prussia, dominating the newspapers that had only recently begun to emerge from their eighteenth-century chronicling of obligations to a more modern publicizing role.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Lest things get predictable, Tasjan’s adept at letting the music battle with the lyrics in a way that hints at how any experience is far more complex than we are led to believe.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026

Definition of adept

Noun

Composer and piano virtuoso Clara Schumann, whose influence on 19th-century classical music is impossible to quantify.

— Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
John Mayer is launching his own record label, Sob Rock Records, the singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso confirmed Thursday, partnering with Universal Music Group’s Mercury Records for the new venture.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of virtuoso

Noun

The holiday campaign, created by advertising guru David Lipman, showcases natural diamond jewelry and fine jewelry, and is centered around model Jasmine Tookes and her husband, Juan David Borrero.

— David Moin, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
After receiving rave reviews for his chilling portrayal of OpenAI guru Sam Altman, Andrew Garfield is headed towards a busy awards season and that now includes a prestigious new honor.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of guru

Browse Nearby Words

dabbling

dab hand

dab hands

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dab hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dab%20hand. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dab hand

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes