1
as in spraying
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
a hillside dotted with wildflowers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in sprinkling
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
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Recent Examples of dotting
Jim Clash Today the beach is tranquil, with hotels and restaurants dotting the shoreline.
—
Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The image is etched in black and white, except for the red blood dotting the protestor’s sign.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2025
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
And three, plump, dark, juicy blackberries dotting vines all across the South just waiting to be turned into a fresh-out-of-the-oven cobbler.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The image is etched in black and white, except for the red blood dotting the protestor’s sign.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2025
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
And three, plump, dark, juicy blackberries dotting vines all across the South just waiting to be turned into a fresh-out-of-the-oven cobbler.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dotting
Verb
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Breaking Bad actor Raymond Cruz was arrested Monday on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after allegedly spraying someone with a hose while washing his car in front of his home in Los Angeles.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Sep. 2025
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Rather than spraying the formula directly onto her skin, our tester applied it to a cotton round instead.—
Esme Benjamin,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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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The host Colombia was peppering the Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Lampe with shots on goal from early on.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Adofo-Mensah’s role evolved over the years, from peppering Mangini about the New England Patriots’ old scouting reports to coding databases that would lead to proprietary pre-draft metrics.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Dental Hygiene Products Ingredients in some oral hygiene products can contribute to tooth staining.—
Ann Pietrangelo,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
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Tips To Keep Your Towels Mascara-Free The best way to keep makeup from staining towels is by thoroughly removing the makeup first.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dotting. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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