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
For years, rapid growth has been reshaping neighborhoods across Austin, the continuing transformation marked by cranes dotting the skyline, road closures and steel rising across the metro area.
—
Travis Webb, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Sundance could anoint hits, dotting the industry’s creative landscape with unlikely blockbusters.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
With vacant storefronts dotting some of the city's most popular corridors, Miami Beach is rolling out a bold new strategy to revive its famed commercial districts.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
The names dotting Laguna Beach’s starting lineup Friday weren’t as familiar as last season but their skill and understanding of movement leaped from the pool to be recognized.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
Start with a creamy cashmere base, then use a dotting tool (or bobby pin) to create the tiny red heart accents.
—Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
There are also giant granite boulders dotting the shore, giving it a decidedly remote, rugged feel.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
Smaller fires have already been lit, dotting the plaza.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Most of the hotels dotting its slopes are surrounded by vineyards and showcase trailblazing cooking and the bounty of the volcanic soil.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Travis Webb, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Sundance could anoint hits, dotting the industry’s creative landscape with unlikely blockbusters.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
With vacant storefronts dotting some of the city's most popular corridors, Miami Beach is rolling out a bold new strategy to revive its famed commercial districts.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
The names dotting Laguna Beach’s starting lineup Friday weren’t as familiar as last season but their skill and understanding of movement leaped from the pool to be recognized.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
Start with a creamy cashmere base, then use a dotting tool (or bobby pin) to create the tiny red heart accents.
—Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
There are also giant granite boulders dotting the shore, giving it a decidedly remote, rugged feel.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
Smaller fires have already been lit, dotting the plaza.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Most of the hotels dotting its slopes are surrounded by vineyards and showcase trailblazing cooking and the bounty of the volcanic soil.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dotting
Verb
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The scale of the war effort had necessitated the creation of a health infrastructure on American soil—spraying for mosquitoes near the front lines in the Pacific wouldn’t mean anything if soldiers caught malaria at home before deployment.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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Written and directed by Swift, the clip sees the singer fall in love with a fellow loner (Domhnall Gleeson) after spraying herself with a love potion fittingly called Opalite.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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,
4 Feb. 2026
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Player props have become such a big and fun part of betting on the big game, so here are 11 that are worth sprinkling a few bucks on.—
KC Joyner,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With members of Congress still peppering the country and globe, the likelihood of bringing a swift resolution to the funding impasse is low.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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All of the familiar tropes are there, from the numerous pop songs peppering the action (including one by Phil Collins, just to remind you of Miami Vice) to the profane banter between the two main characters to the endless fights, shootouts and chases to the colorful villain.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Few wardrobe moments are more stressful than staining your beloved cashmere sweater.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
15 Feb. 2026
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Nancy Guthrie had been missing less than three days when family members and reporters, and even an Amazon delivery worker, could be seen wandering onto her property, with drops of her blood still staining the front entryway.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dotting. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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