dapple 1 of 2

noun

ˈda-pəl How to pronounce dapple (audio)
Definition of dapplenext
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

Relevance

dapple

2 of 2

verb

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

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 dapple
Noun
In the prelude to a November ballot featuring the candidate synonymous with polarization, all the dapple and nuance of life is once again being reduced to a binary. — Karl Vick, TIME, 2 July 2024 The building's neo-Gothic domes and spires were lit up against the indigo night, creating Impressionist dapples on the river. — Lina Mounzer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Apr. 2023
Verb
This is a particularly lovely area to visit in spring, when redwoods dapple the newly green hillsides, and wildflowers peep in preserves like the Edge of Appalachia. — Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 6 May 2026 The pale tortilla was dappled with shades of brown, toasty and tawny—simplicity, done superlatively. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dapple
  1. fleck
  2. sprinkle
  3. dot
  4. stain
  5. speck
  6. marble
  7. blotch
  8. pepper
Noun
  • Little flecks of roasted sweet potato pepper the cake, and a tangy cream cheese glaze is a perfect complement to the warm spices and crunchy topping.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026
  • One image of her right knee showed flecks of blue plastic that prosecutors said came from an inflatable pool Burke used to collect blood while dismembering her body.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026
Definition of fleck
Verb
  • Never dump soil in large clumps in the garden; instead, sprinkle it thinly and evenly.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Warren Buffett went long in his annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders—often 10,000-plus words, deep on the year’s lessons and the company’s results, sprinkled with folksy wisdom.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of sprinkle
Noun
  • Purple dots represent bicycle crashes, while black dots represent the 158 people who were killed while walking or bicycling in Sacramento County over the past five years.
    — James Taylor, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The population of Quincy, a red dot in deep blue Washington, has grown as agriculture and food processing expanded.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of dot
Verb
  • Incomplete, broken, and damaged or stained items and clothing should be thrown out.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 11 Aug. 2026
  • On the floor were six cots and a couple of mattresses, stained and foul-smelling.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of stain
Noun
  • Hezlep House is on the market for a speck under $5 million with listing agent Nancy Valentine.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026
  • That’s way off in the distance, barely a speck on the horizon.
    — Zach Przystup, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of speck
Verb
  • Just offshore from Ambergris Caye, Belize’s largest island, the Caribbean Sea takes on a mesmerizing, almost marbled quality.
    — Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Veining helps marbled white quartz countertops adopt the look of real Calacatta marble.
    — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 June 2026
Definition of marble
Noun
  • The next morning, a galaxy of itchy red bumps and blotches stretched from my shoulder to my hip.
    — Ben Crair, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
  • Verticillium wilt causes similar blotches and yellowing.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2026
Definition of blotch
Verb
  • Six weeks after Beloozerov’s funeral, the FBI peppered Marina with questions during an hourslong interview at the agency’s field office in Washington.
    — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Thousands of architecturally distinct vacation rentals pepper the woods of Hocking Hills in southern Ohio, offering some of the Midwest’s coolest stays.
    — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of pepper

Browse Nearby Words

dapperness
dapple
dappled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dapple. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All