1
as in fleck
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
a lizard with specks of white against a green body
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in glimmer
a very small amount
not a speck of explanation to accompany the book's pictures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in particle
a very small piece
a speck of dust was preventing the laser from reading the disc
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to sprinkle
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
dirt that had specked the windows of the factory for ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 speck
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
It’s been barely three years since Kate Mara and Jamie Bell doled out $4.8 million for a Los Angeles home in the leafy foothills of Los Feliz, and the Hollywood couple has already decided to hand over the keys to their stately Southern Colonial-style digs, asking a speck under $5 million.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2025
Brian Lowry, CNN, 19 Apr. 2018
To get into the spirit, order a ginger beer and rock shrimp fritters, fried balls of doughy goodness specked with bell pepper and spices that come steaming hot with a side of spicy mayo.
—Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, 12 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for speck
Noun
Anyone with even a speck of land can help restore habitat by adding native plants to their landscape.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
It’s been barely three years since Kate Mara and Jamie Bell doled out $4.8 million for a Los Angeles home in the leafy foothills of Los Feliz, and the Hollywood couple has already decided to hand over the keys to their stately Southern Colonial-style digs, asking a speck under $5 million.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
For all its strengths, though, the series proves a bit of a slog, at times, as the wheels turn along the dusty, blood-specked road to wherever this maze leads.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 19 Apr. 2018
To get into the spirit, order a ginger beer and rock shrimp fritters, fried balls of doughy goodness specked with bell pepper and spices that come steaming hot with a side of spicy mayo.
—Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, 12 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for speck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speck
Noun
-
This nude lipstick shade has just a touch of warmth to it, plus gold flecks that catch the light for fuller-looking lips.—
Claire Sullivan,
Footwear News,
6 May 2025
-
For all his flaws, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s willingness to speak openly about autism as a public health concern led some of us to find flecks of hope in his arrival as secretary of health and human services.—
Mark Kendall,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Yet, even amidst the shadows, there were glimmers — moments that defied logic or explanation.—
Carissa Talmage,
People.com,
2 May 2025
-
France singled in the ninth, too, giving the Twins a glimmer of hope, but DaShawn Keirsey Jr., in to pinch run for him, was thrown out by Naylor trying to steal on the first pitch of Jonah Bride’s at-bat.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Central Valley metro area ranked third in the nation in terms of year-round particle pollution and fifth in terms of short-term particle pollution.—
Fernanda Galan,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Residents are being told to avoid lighting candles, burning incense, using fireplaces, or grilling—activities that can increase indoor particle pollution.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Capitals are a veteran team with youth sprinkled through the lineup.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
They can also be sprinkled on salads, blended into soups, or baked into various types of goods. 12.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN,
Health,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The butterflies themselves are nearly gone, but the ink has left three blotches down her arm.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Photos depict a heartbreaking sight, with Hector’s rib cage protruding through his weakened body as red blotches line his ivory and brown coat.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Miss Manners can promise you that there will not be a shred of curiosity left in those formerly nosy questioners.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Every scene is a joy because every performance is perfectly pitched, and there’s not a shred of fat on Deborah Moggach’s screenplay (which received an uncredited development assist from Emma Thompson).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Maurice conceded to having a little bit of a fan in him while coaching in this series.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
Just kind of having a little bit of a different style of play.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Facing Ramírez to start the seventh, López dotted a fastball down and in to the slugger, only for it to be called a ball by plate umpire Malachi Moore.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
Every April, Earth Day arrives in full color – parks buzzing with volunteers, corporate campuses dotted with tree-planting events, and social feeds flooded with stunning shots of mountains, oceans, and forests.—
Namita Gupta-Hehl,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speck. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share