variants
also dapple
1
as in dotted
marked with spots
a dappled fawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in colored
having blotches of two or more colors
a forest that was vibrant with the dappled foliage of autumn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sprinkled
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
sunlight dappled the canopy of vines over our heads
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dappled
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Lee Calvert’s new bedroom glowed with the dappled sunlight of a late-spring afternoon.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 13 Aug. 2025
The exception may be the size of the potato gnocchi, husky rectangles of creamy potato dumplings in a lemon butter sauce, circling jumbo lump crab morsels dappled with chives.
—Beth D'addono, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dappled
Adjective
Cradled beneath dramatic cliffs on Mauritius’s southwestern coast, Le Morne Beach beckons with silky sands and swaying palms that cast dappled shade over slung hammocks.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Lee Calvert’s new bedroom glowed with the dappled sunlight of a late-spring afternoon.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
Verb
The stage, covered in a crumbling cityscape and backed by a massive screen, sat next to a cross-shaped catwalk on the stadium floor dappled with giant golden rings.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 13 Aug. 2025
The exception may be the size of the potato gnocchi, husky rectangles of creamy potato dumplings in a lemon butter sauce, circling jumbo lump crab morsels dappled with chives.
—Beth D'addono, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dappled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dappled
Adjective
-
Simple arithmetic such as 355/113 could be calculated in place by selecting the text and pressing USE FRONT-CALC (Control-G), which yields the answer with a dotted underline to indicate the result of a computation.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Prospects seem good that someone will sign on the dotted line during or soon after the Toronto event.—
Julie Hinds,
Freep.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Women in brightly colored dresses danced in shoes that loudly clicked across the floor.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Across the valley sat a two-story barn where caramel-colored and chestnut-spotted horses plus a storybook white one were lined up along the wooden fence.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To see those brown eyes, long brown hair, and those freckles sprinkled across her nose.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The clinical nature of the autopsy report is stark against the remnants of Pauline’s humanity, sprinkled throughout the 11 pages.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
The Tennessean,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For an eco-friendly option, check out EcoBirdy, a kids’ furniture company that creates its wares out of ecothylene—a patented material made from upcycled plastic toys that lends each piece a flecked pattern.—
Leonora Epstein,
Architectural Digest,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Drizzle this herb-flecked dressing over greens, roasted or grilled veggies, and grain salads.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The 12-piece line, featuring colorful plates, cups, candleholders, and a show-stopping spiral vase, reimagines classic Swedish holiday traditions with a fresh, joyful edge.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
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Her character also loved wearing colorful hues like orange, according to Mickens, this reflects her actual Caribbean heritage.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Suarez, the 38-year-old Uruguayan icon and one of the greatest strikers in history with more than 500 goals for club and country, has had his legacy stained by disciplinary issues.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
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Bricks look weathered and soot-stained, there’s graffiti on the walls, posters are peeling off them and shadows of moving people are even projected onto the windows of the train in the station.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The whole rug needs to get wet or colors in the fiber could migrate and result in a blotched look.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Its leaves are deciduous and sometimes white-blotched.—
Howard Garrett,
Dallas News,
16 Aug. 2021
Verb
-
Gerwig, 42, returned to Venice in a black dress with a sheer black overlay speckled with glittering flowers.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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That’s because very ripe bananas—which are speckled with brown spots or even completely brown—are naturally sweeter than their green or yellow counterparts.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dappled. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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