sunspot
noun
sun·spot
ˈsən-ˌspät 
: any of the dark spots that appear at times on the sun's surface and are usually visible only through a telescope
Examples of sunspot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Such activity may even come from the very same sunspot that caused last week’s displays, which scientists dubbed active region 4274 (AR4274).
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025
They're often associated with solar flares — intense blasts of radiation — and occur near sunspots, which are areas of strong magnetic fields on the solar surface.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The recent surge in activity stems from an active region of sunspots on the sun called AR 14274, according to Ryan French, a solar physicist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Intense magnetic activity caused by sunspots are expected to last through 2026, according to NOAA, and the best times to see the northern lights in the U.S. is between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The Space Weather Prediction Center recommends traveling to the darkest location possible for the best viewing.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sunspot
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.
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025
They're often associated with solar flares — intense blasts of radiation — and occur near sunspots, which are areas of strong magnetic fields on the solar surface.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The recent surge in activity stems from an active region of sunspots on the sun called AR 14274, according to Ryan French, a solar physicist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Intense magnetic activity caused by sunspots are expected to last through 2026, according to NOAA, and the best times to see the northern lights in the U.S. is between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The Space Weather Prediction Center recommends traveling to the darkest location possible for the best viewing.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sunspot
Cite this Entry
“Sunspot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunspot. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sunspot
noun
sun·spot
-ˌspät
: one of the dark spots that appear from time to time on the sun's surface and are usually visible only through a telescope
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share