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
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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
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Recent Examples of speck
New Atlas, 4 June 2025
Music thumped through the powerful speakers as specks of rain fell from the sky, but luckily the serious rain held off until much later in the evening.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 31 May 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
The finished product, the researchers say, is about the size of a speck of dust to the naked eye – but its detail can be seen when viewed though a microscope.
—New Atlas, 4 June 2025
Music thumped through the powerful speakers as specks of rain fell from the sky, but luckily the serious rain held off until much later in the evening.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 31 May 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
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After drying, Messinger meticulously cleans the artifacts with delicate animal-hair brushes and painstakingly removes rust, fleck by fleck, with a dental pick.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The blue is speckled with some white flecks, which reminds me of blue enamelware pots and pans for a down-home aesthetic.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Telehealth offers a glimmer of a solution, but as everyone who’s tried to show off a concerning mole to a doctor via a smartphone camera knows: Video technology can only get you so far.—
Christopher Null,
Wired News,
19 June 2025
-
For travelers, Christchurch Airport offers a glimmer of hope.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
According to Chi Li, assistant research professor and first author of the study, the small particles identified tend to come from direct air emissions, such as black carbon particles from diesel engines, or the smoke from wildfires.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
-
These filters trap smaller particles, such as pollen.—
Sharon Liao,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 June 2025
Verb
-
Allow cookies to cool completely before sprinkling powdered sugar on the walnut cookies.—
Lillian Ali,
Smithsonian Magazine,
17 June 2025
-
The Steelers also sprinkled in Cover 2 on about 12 percent of snaps (20th) and some other split-field coverages like Cover 6 (quarter, quarter, half).—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Their backs are a mixture of cream dots, orange-ish speckles and brown blotches.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2025
-
These are more typically animals with stripes instead of blotches, missing patterns, and similar.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
16 May 2025
Noun
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The material underfoot was dark brown and appeared to be a mix of wood chips and woody debris, dotted with cast-off rubber and plastic — the shred of a Spalding basketball here, a purple plastic squirrel there.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
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In a shred of goods news, final sales to private domestic purchasers — a key gauge of underlying demand in the economy — accelerated to 3% in the first quarter from 2.9% in the fourth quarter.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Forensic scientists showed the jury tiny red bits of plastic stuck in the fabric of O’Keefe’s sweatshirt, and pieces of Read’s taillight near where the body was found.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
18 June 2025
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There’s familiarity, there’s evolution and there’s a little bit of something for all demographics of music too, not just country.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Even some of the international prospects who often dotted the late first round and early second are now taking big NIL offers from colleges around the country as their first move to the United States to play basketball.—
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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Along the route, trekkers engage with local culture and stay at the mountain lodges that dot the trail, including Kongde Lodge.—
Chloe Berge,
Outside Online,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speck. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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