MOTE Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

mote

noun

ˈmōt

Definition of mote

as in speck

a very small piece there's not a mote of dirt in that woman's house

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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 mote Tiny bugs float in the sun like dust motes, and there are graceful flies large enough to require a runway landing. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026 Sunbeams through the windows illuminate floating dust motes—and, imperceptibly, microdroplets of mucus carrying the measles virus, expelled from an infected but asymptomatic child who is hopping and laughing among the others. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026 However, some bits of debris from the objects can exist long enough to plummet through the sky, ranging from dust-mote-sized particles to whole propellant tanks. — Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2026 There’s always a new speck of dirt, mote of dust, or lock of hair to clean up. — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mote

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mote

Noun

The pair are flip sides of the same coin; Kinney a speck of blue running in a red state, and Austin a Republican running in the Democratic stronghold of Connecticut.

— Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
Chips could be destroyed by even a speck of dust, so factories became impregnable clean rooms, their workers clad in bunny suits.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of speck

Noun

Earning a ghostly reputation by avoiding gravity and nuclear forces, these abundant particles stream through us daily without leaving a single trace.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2026
The dark particles coat white snow and soak up heat from the sun, exacerbating melting that was already happening more quickly because of climate change.

— Connie Hanzhang Jin, NPR, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of particle

Noun

In addition, since all this debris is moving at orbital velocity, a fleck of paint traveling in the opposite direction to an operational satellite can hit it at a speed in excess of Mach 47.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
As few as 10 cells, hidden in an infinitesimal fleck of feces, can contaminate raw milk and trigger a fatal infection.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of fleck

Noun

Instead of dissolving an entire sample for analysis, this method measures individual mineral grains directly.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Using a specialized rubidium-strontium dating technique, researchers analyzed individual mineral grains on its surface, preserving it for future analysis.

— Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of grain

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mosts

mote

motel

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“Mote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mote. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of mote

noun

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