as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
sunlight dappled the canopy of vines over our heads
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Recent Examples of dappling
In my mind, that always meant at least a plane ride's worth of travel—me in safari gear, sunlight dappling through the canopy, and swinging vines overhead.
—
Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dappling
Verb
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Under the post that included romantic and silly shots of Neeson sprinkling some popcorn over her head, Joely left a string of red heart emojis in the comments section.—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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Then, to complete the deep clean, Lane suggests, sprinkling baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and running a second hot cycle with no detergent.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rescuers were battling to reach remote mountainous areas cut off from mobile networks along the Pakistani border, where mudbrick homes dotting the slopes collapsed in the quake.—
Mohammad Yunus Yawar,
USA Today,
1 Sep. 2025
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From the tee, the water looks untouched, stretching out calm and serene, with a few homes dotting the far shore.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Enter this darling Dutch oven—it’s constructed with long-lasting cast-iron and finished with a triple-layer enamel coating that prevents chipping, fading, cracking, and staining with use.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
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After victims were taken inside the hospital, photos taken by an employee of the Gaza Ministry of Health show blood staining multiple floors of the stairwell.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dappling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dappling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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