dot 1 of 2

noun

ˈdät How to pronounce dot (audio)
Definition of dotnext
as in fleck
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part there was just a dot on the tablecloth where the food had spattered

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dot

2 of 2

verb

ˈdät How to pronounce dot (audio)
1
as in to spray
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on a hillside dotted with wildflowers

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to sprinkle
to mark with small spots especially unevenly the practice of some chefs of positioning a small portion of food in the center and dotting the rest of the plate with sauce

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 dot
Noun
Once launched, Eärendil-1 would deploy an 18-meter-wide steerable mirror to demonstrate that technological feat; anyone or anything in the path of its beam would see the satellite as a glaring dot shining up to four times brighter than a full moon. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026 Text is entered by a user and overlaid within hundreds of moving dots in a short video animation. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
Verb
Rural origins One-room schoolhouses once dotted America’s rural landscapes, including in Illinois. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 Kilroy, who survived a childhood bout with cancer, was fascinated by the stunted pine trees that dotted the mountaintop. — John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dot
  1. fleck
  2. spray
  3. sprinkle
  4. blotch
  5. pepper
  6. stain
  7. speck
  8. spot
Noun
  • Light streams through the frosted glass, catching flecks of dust.
    — Ashley Andreou, STAT, 22 June 2026
  • But flecks of green were visible throughout the stadium as Algeria fans made their presence known as well.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
Definition of fleck
Verb
  • That’s a big reason to go slowly and think hard before spraying any insecticides in the garden.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • How To Deep Clean Blinds To deep clean your blinds, San Angelo recommends taking them down and soaking them in a bathtub or spraying them with a hose outside.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Definition of spray
Verb
  • Though there are monuments and memorials — sidewalk plaques, benches, murals — sprinkled around the globe, there appear to be very few Jackson statues permanently displayed in the United States.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
  • The reason gardeners sprinkle cayenne pepper in their yards is for pest control.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 17 July 2026
Definition of sprinkle
Noun
  • Verticillium wilt causes similar blotches and yellowing.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2026
  • Pine snakes can grow up to 56 inches in length, have black, brown, and russet scales with dark blotches along their backs, and are noted for having a pointed nose, which experts believe may help with burrowing.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Definition of blotch
Verb
  • Lacy, who is famously fluid in his sexuality and laughs off any attempt to define it, peppers his songs with dreams of men and women, of wanting each yet leaving everyone.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
  • The world’s already richest clubs pepper the top of the list — Barcelona, second four years ago, are also second in our estimate — which stands to reason given it is their players who are most likely to feature on the world stage.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of pepper
Verb
  • But the tournament will also be remembered for a classless and churlish Argentina, which forever stained itself with a thuggish performance in the game and an ungracious one afterward.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Now—before there is another name, another van, another street stained with blood that didn't have to be spilled.
    — Kica Matos, Time, 17 July 2026
Definition of stain
Noun
  • Tucked into the foothills above Point Dome, the property is listed for a speck under $5 million.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 July 2026
  • Rather than waiting several years to look at the object through the VLT once more, Sutlieff, Bonse and their colleagues dove into older, archival imagery of the star system, looking for signs of their speck.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
Definition of speck
Verb
  • Larry the Cat, who has lived at 10 Downing Street for the last 15 years, has been spotted relaxing this morning, seemingly unfazed by all the media gathered outside.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Skid marks showing that Medina slammed on his brakes and rapidly accelerated backward were also spotted.
    — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 19 July 2026
Definition of spot

Browse Nearby Words

dossing (down)
dot
dotage
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Cite this Entry

“Dot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dot. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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