MOTES Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

motes

noun

plural of mote

as in specks

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 motes 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 Easily swept up by wind and carried long distances by water, these tiny motes are also exceedingly difficult to detect and almost impossible to remove from the environment. — K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 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 Powering and recording signals from multiple motes will require new techniques and better signal processing. — Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2016

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motes

Noun

Calcium shows up as bright white specks on the coronary artery images.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
Pulse a few times, until crumbs range in size from specks to peas.

— Leah Eskin, Midwest Living, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of specks

Noun

Since particles from hotter matter generally have more momentum, the changes revealed how the fireball’s temperature varies between collisions.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
The quantumness involved is simple, fleeting, and kind of unavoidable — even in a flask of dead chemicals, some tiny particles will tunnel through energetic barriers.

— Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of particles

Noun

Speaking in the October/November issue of Reader’s Digest, out Friday, Groban told interviewer Leigh Belz Ray (who is also the 104-year-old magazine’s editor in chief) that he was cautioned that the comedy bits might confuse some fans of his music.

— Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
Both Carrie Ann and Derek praise Guillermo for committing to the character of the dance instead of comedy bits.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of bits

Noun

This produces dense, void-free films with larger crystal grains.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026
Lower yields and harvesting can be challenging Pilot programs involving perennial grains are in the works around the world, testing how to grow them in different regions, climates and soils, but the research is early and slow-moving.

— Joshua A. Bickel, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of grains

Noun

As the weather cools and pool parties and cookouts are traded for football tailgates and pumpkin patches, why not add a concert to the mix?

— DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
After Swift appeared with Fazit’s Gold Speckles makeup patches decorating her cheeks, the brand reported a 3,500 percent increase in direct-to-consumer sales.

— Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of patches

Noun

The resulting signals contain information about the structure of molecules, allowing researchers to distinguish between different substances.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
In this event, the antibodies can grab onto molecules dangling off the outside of the egg as well as molecules secreted by the egg.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of molecules

Noun

Production disruptions and weak output in Chile, the world’s biggest producer, sent prices to record highs, with the US accumulating huge stockpiles and smelters in China forced to turn to scraps to meet that country’s industrial needs.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
His team, which had just gruelingly removed passengers stuck between scraps of metal and glass, turned its attention to another deadly disaster Tuesday night.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of scraps

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motels

motes

motet

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“Motes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motes. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of motes

noun

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