Pats

The answer

DABS

4 letters. See every clue for this answer on the DABS answer page.

Used 7 times across 7 distinct years; most recently in 2003; first recorded in 1966. It appears in 3 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.

Other clues for DABS

Every other clue in this collection answered by DABS, most used first.

• Applies lightly - used 30 times, most recently in 2025
• Applies gently - used 22 times, most recently in 2026
• Small amounts - used 22 times, most recently in 2023
• Ointment amounts - used 16 times, most recently in 2025
• Smidgens - used 16 times, most recently in 2025
• Pats gently - used 11 times, most recently in 2025
• Light touches - used 10 times, most recently in 2025
• Soft touches - used 10 times, most recently in 2022
• Flatfish. - used 9 times, most recently in 1996
• Dollops - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Small amounts, as of cream - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Bits of paint - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
• Small flounders. - used 7 times, most recently in 1992
• Applies with a cotton ball - used 6 times, most recently in 2020
• Applies with a Q-Tip - used 6 times, most recently in 2021
• Gentle touches - used 6 times, most recently in 2023
• Small globs - used 6 times, most recently in 2024

Related clues

Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.

• Profound - DEEP, used 297 times
• Sandwich shop - DELI, used 288 times
• Consider - DEEM, used 287 times
• Unit of force - DYNE, used 242 times
• Facts and figures - DATA, used 223 times
• Challenge - DARE, used 216 times

Search the clue collection

Search by clue words or by answer, or type a pattern with the letters you have and a blank for each square you do not know. The characters _ ? . and - all work as blanks.