as in speck
a very small piece
there's not a mote of dirt in that woman's house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 mote
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 a Gambit-adjacent one that has players depositing motes while killing other teams.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The sensors’ small size allows seamless integration into almost any environment, while the wireless, modular design lets motes be added or removed as needed depending on the application.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
The researchers say their prototype mote used a commercially available circuit board.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2016
See All Example Sentences for mote
Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2026
There’s a Gambit-adjacent one that has players depositing motes while killing other teams.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The sensors’ small size allows seamless integration into almost any environment, while the wireless, modular design lets motes be added or removed as needed depending on the application.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
The researchers say their prototype mote used a commercially available circuit board.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2016
See All Example Sentences for mote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mote
Noun
-
The machine-like efficiency is terrifying, right up until a single speck of dirt falls into the gears.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
-
This looks like tiny black or reddish-brown specks that resemble coffee grounds.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Seasonal allergies are primarily caused by trees and grasses, whose tiny pollen particles travel on the wind.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
-
Tiny silica beads about 10 microns in diameter are projected at the polymer at about 750 meters per second (over 1,600 miles per hour) with the amount of energy absorbed measured by calculating the change in particle velocity before and after the beads pass through.—
Shirl Leigh
June 10,
New Atlas,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
From the train windows, expect to spot the aquamarine waves of Ligurian Sea crashing against the stony coast, candy-colored houses huddled together on the hillsides, tiny wooden boats gliding through village harbors, and flecks of golden-sand beaches.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 June 2026
-
The light had a wintry grain, with flecks of color suspended in it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Sunday brings a little bit of everything.—
Damien Lodes,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
Drill bit makers who serve the oil and gas industry are replacing tungsten drill bits with steel, which wears more quickly.—
Ari Sen,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Straw is the agricultural byproduct of harvesting cereal grains such as barley, wheat and rice.—
Noah Daly,
Idaho Statesman,
13 June 2026
-
This dish is easy-peasy and has it all - protein, veggies, and a grain.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mote. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
