dotting

present participle of dot
1
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

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 dotting In one of the last shots, Camille’s character lies flat on a bed with stab wounds dotting her abdomen. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 Decades later, fulfilling the typical American Dream of a home with white picket fence dotting the front lawn has become all but unattainable, as home prices have soared 235% since January 2000. Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 Els believes the cranes currently dotting the Vilamoura skyline are a flashing indicator of a new uplift cycle. Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 And Amazon and other merchants gobbled up the ubiquitous concrete cubes dotting the region’s landscape. Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 31 July 2026 The backstory There are countless historic military forts dotting the islands of Casco Bay, but Fort Scammel on House Island is the only one to have ever seen combat. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026 Without saying a word to her children, Janet scooped the shirt out of the sink and marched it across the kitchen, rosy splotches dotting the linoleum at her feet. Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026 And while there are plenty of boutique hotels dotting the Hudson Valley and the Catskills, for true relaxation, why not book an Airbnb? Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 16 July 2026 Rather, the ubiquitous neo-Trianon memorials dotting the country are a physical reminder of how central these politics have become. Brett R. Chloupek, The Conversation, 15 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dotting
Verb
  • May 7, 2026 – Installation continues after a May 6 rain delay, with cleaning and spraying 68,000 square feet of the pool's surface with a coating known as Rhino 406.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Emergency responders rushed to the scene after the crash, with aerial footage showing firefighters spraying fire retardant on the burning wreckage while thick black smoke rose above the base.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Trump for decades has loved gold and marble, liberally sprinkling them about his development projects and his personal spaces.
    Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026
  • In her Tinker Bell costume, Ashley seems as thirsty for a peach as Shamea is, reveling in the opportunity to tell her side of the story but obviously sprinkling her own fairy dust of exaggeration into the narrative.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 27 July 2026
Verb
  • Finding all these guys, and so many more peppering the scene, served as an important reminder.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
  • As an amateur race car driver, the villa’s owner wanted elements of his passion peppering the interior.
    Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • The image above shows pinkish-orange guano staining large sections of some of the Danger Islands, Heroína Island and Beagle Island.
    Brett Tingley, Space.com, 30 July 2026
  • Water treatment systems that remove excess iron can dramatically reduce staining throughout your home.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 16 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dotting. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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