as in fleck
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
the clouds threw dapples of shadow over the eerily quiet street
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to sprinkle
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
sunlight dappled the canopy of vines over our heads
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dapple
Dallas News, 9 May 2022
Piglet is a Chihuahua-dachshund mix, with a genetic condition called double dapple that causes eyesight and hearing difficulties.
—Susan Dunne, courant.com, 29 Jan. 2022
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
Calling on a Rolodex of guest stars (Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Daniel Caesar), Hynes dapples his scenes in golden lo-fi.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dapple
Noun
While out on walks in Dallas’ Uptown, people often stop Alison Roche to ask about her brown, dapple, floppy-eared dachshund.
—Dallas News, 9 May 2022
Piglet is a Chihuahua-dachshund mix, with a genetic condition called double dapple that causes eyesight and hearing difficulties.
—Susan Dunne, courant.com, 29 Jan. 2022
Verb
All have green leaves dappled with white, yellow, or pale green.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
Calling on a Rolodex of guest stars (Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Daniel Caesar), Hynes dapples his scenes in golden lo-fi.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dapple
Noun
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That, plus distinct green (herbs) and black (pepper) flecks, made this contender feel higher-end, inspiring us to declare Trader Joe’s the best ranch dressing overall.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Feb. 2026
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As Dracula, Jones is giddy and joyous with flecks of depravity bursting through as the plot expands to include his ethereal bond with Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray (also Bleu).—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Try nutritional yeast mixed into homemade sauces and batters, or sprinkled onto savory dishes, for a nutty, cheesy flavor without dairy.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
16 Feb. 2026
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The center fielder spent the offseason at home training, with some travel sprinkled in.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Marguerite daisies in full bloom dot the yard.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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The downside is that nearby dots interfere with each other more, but the team solved that using a machine learning model to decode the data accurately.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Novel staining technique Zankowski’s team used traceable silver and bromine markers to tag cellulose- and latex-derived binders in anodes.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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To Protect Materials The dishwater's scalding water can stain or dull aluminum cookware.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Tiny beads of blood had seeped out and dried into tiny specks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
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Here indeed was a dense speck of wilderness under preserve.—
John Bowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The marbling effect of this manicure aggregates the polish at the tip of each nail, but diffuses the border of the nail tips and pulls the color down towards the base in a watercolor style.—
Sunnah Rasheed,
InStyle,
24 Jan. 2026
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Prime rib is a desirable cut of beef, known for its rich flavor and marbling from fat.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Its purple black center was surrounded by blotches of varying shades and textures, raised or sunken at places.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
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With the proper equipment, the sun spots will appear as a small black blotch close to the center of the solar disk, positioned a little above the sun’s equator.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the 20th, Breck Dunn made an excellent run down the near sideline and eventually found an unmarked Laura Niemeyer, who peppered a shot into the back of the net for the third Islander goal of the night.—
Clark Fahrenthold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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Councilmembers peppered the district with questions.—
Dan Snyder,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dapple. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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