dabbled; dabbling
ˈda-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest
dabbles in art
2
a
: to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water
b
: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water in order to obtain food
: to wet by splashing or by little dips or strokes : spatter
Examples of dabble in a Sentence
The ducks dabbled in the stream.
She sat by the pool, dabbling her feet in the cool water.
Recent Examples on the Web
The questing has paid off: The serial entrepreneur, who has dabbled in everything from e-commerce to baseball cards, is now worth $2.8 billion, Forbes estimates.
—
Phoebe Liu, Forbes, 8 Feb. 2025
Prone to hero worship early on, Drake hashed out his style in public, dabbling in rap while working on the Canadian teen soap Degrassi: The Next Generation.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
Goldman now and then dabbled in reviews, his opinions vigorously pro or con.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2025
The brothers’ sound, which dabbles in genres like pop, R&B and Latin trap, helped set them apart from other música Mexicana acts.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dabble 
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Phoebe Liu, Forbes, 8 Feb. 2025
Prone to hero worship early on, Drake hashed out his style in public, dabbling in rap while working on the Canadian teen soap Degrassi: The Next Generation.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
Goldman now and then dabbled in reviews, his opinions vigorously pro or con.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2025
The brothers’ sound, which dabbles in genres like pop, R&B and Latin trap, helped set them apart from other música Mexicana acts.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dabble
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Dictionary Entries Near dabble
Cite this Entry
“Dabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dabble. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dabble
verb
dab·ble
ˈdab-əl
dabbled; dabbling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to wet by splashing : spatter
2
a
: to paddle or play in or as if in water
b
: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water to obtain food
ducks dabbled in the pond
3
: to work or concern oneself lightly or without deep involvement
they dabble in poetry
dabbler
noun
-(ə-)lər
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