1
as in eclectic
consisting of many things of different sorts
a ship with a motley crew of old salts, young adventurers, and shifty characters of all ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in colorful
marked by a variety of usually vivid colors
a tropical bird with motley plumage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in assortment
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a motley of old junk stored in the attic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motley
Sam Reed, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2025
Murphy ticked off a list of Brewers players who had been discarded and disrespected, like Vaughn, only to find a home with his motley Brew Crew.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety.
—Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for motley
Adjective
However, if the TikToks on my own For You Page are to be believed, the audience is a motley mix of people, from Gen Alpha to Boomers, who tune in every week to watch protagonist Belly choose between one of two brothers—Conrad (Christopher Briney) or Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2025
Murphy ticked off a list of Brewers players who had been discarded and disrespected, like Vaughn, only to find a home with his motley Brew Crew.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
With a total team of 25 today, Schaper is trying to juggle a motley of distribution channels, each with their own unique needs and processes.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety.
—Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for motley
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motley
Adjective
-
Rooms are handsome and eclectic, and the views of the sprawling city from the pool deck are impressive.—
David Shortell,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
-
In 2022, the eclectic corner café Black Coffee lit up Detroit’s North End neighborhood with its bold yellow walls and Afrocentric décor.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Until Saturday, Scott — accustomed to wearing prison blue — had two shirts and two pairs of pants, but Sanders took him to Ross Dress for Less for some colorful, new clothes.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The lunar event will appear brighter and more colorful than most full moons, offering several nights of striking views just after sunset.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The documentary shows a video that was uploaded to TikTok of Valencia fans chanting at Vinicius Jr, with the transcription as ‘mono’ (monkey) rather than ‘tonto’ (fool).—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Don’t let its compact size fool you, though.—
Jordyn Burrell,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Several good, young A’s players Kurtz’s performance this season has put him near the front of the pack offensively on an A’s team that boasts an assortment of young talent.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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Appetizer options include mini crab cakes and salmon bites, served alongside an assortment of specialty cocktails to wash it all down.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Along the way, her opponents have been many and varied, from world champions in the ring to a professional boxing ban in her native country and those who believed that women had no place in the sport at all.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Sanders' action sparked varied reactions.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Brightly colored berries are another strategy that plants have devised to disperse their seeds.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Well … are the requests for construction paper and colored pencils?—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
More than a decade later, the series continues to reimagine American histories and channel primal fears — from clowns and cults, to witches and ghosts — with each installment cloaked in social commentary and camp.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
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But that won't ease the fears of anyone who categorizes clowns as monsters.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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