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
Start with a clear glitter base, then use a dotting tool to create white daisies with pink and orange centers.
—
Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 8 June 2026
Among the historic attractions dotting Route 66, there may be none more hapless and ill fated as the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
On her fingertips were little ladybugs dotting her nails, courtesy of nail artist Elle Gerstein.
—Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 24 May 2026
The 164-acre Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park has vibrant gardens, almost five miles of walking trails, and a lovely pond, with both permanent and rotating art installations dotting the expansive property.
—Kristy Tolley, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
Create a Hummingbird Buffet Rather than dotting single specimens around your garden, plant a hummingbird highway.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
And the mini-chains that cater to them — Gorjana, Solidcore, Vuori — are following them uptown, dotting stretches of Second and Third Avenue between 72nd and 86th Street.
—Anne Kadet, Curbed, 12 May 2026
Umbrellas are dotting the viewing area as a Marine band entertains guests.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
And some nail artists use a dotting tool or a thin nail brush dipped into the thick gel to fashion their dew-like beads.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Apr. 2026
Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 8 June 2026
Among the historic attractions dotting Route 66, there may be none more hapless and ill fated as the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
On her fingertips were little ladybugs dotting her nails, courtesy of nail artist Elle Gerstein.
—Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 24 May 2026
The 164-acre Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park has vibrant gardens, almost five miles of walking trails, and a lovely pond, with both permanent and rotating art installations dotting the expansive property.
—Kristy Tolley, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
Create a Hummingbird Buffet Rather than dotting single specimens around your garden, plant a hummingbird highway.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
And the mini-chains that cater to them — Gorjana, Solidcore, Vuori — are following them uptown, dotting stretches of Second and Third Avenue between 72nd and 86th Street.
—Anne Kadet, Curbed, 12 May 2026
Umbrellas are dotting the viewing area as a Marine band entertains guests.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
And some nail artists use a dotting tool or a thin nail brush dipped into the thick gel to fashion their dew-like beads.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dotting
Verb
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Moments later, after what Cardin described as a glitch in the app that dropped a few seconds from the video, the driver can be seen spraying something onto the delivery and walking away.—
George Solis,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
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Because the buffing, spraying and swirling actions required to use powders and sprays increase the risk of inhalation.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But organizations are still missing out on a few key steps, including organizing data, creating new workflow processes, and moving beyond merely sprinkling AI on the margins.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
3 June 2026
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And Crawford has been sprinkling in a secret catchphrase no one has caught on to yet.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The meeting went off the rails when Pelley, a 50-year veteran journalist, began peppering Bilton with questions and accused Weiss of destroying the show’s sterling reputation.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
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Hezbollah upped its campaign as well, peppering Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and areas of northern Israel with drones and rocket attacks, according to statements from the group.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Inside, wear regular work gloves or thin, plastic gloves for staining and refinishing.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
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Under the microscope, the neuropathologist had seen evidence of C9orf72—there was abnormal p62 staining in Ray’s thalamus and several other brain structures.—
Adeline Goss,
New Yorker,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dotting. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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