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
Relevance
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
Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Chief among them is Ullman, who, like Murphy, is somehow never fazed by the frenetic ups and downs of life at the school, and then there are the kids themselves, a motley bunch whose neuroses and camaraderie recall the psych ward in Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 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
Thaksin briefly allied with Move Forward in an attempt to form a government, but reneged on that deal to instead lead a motley coalition alongside 10 establishment-leaning parties, including two directly responsible for the 2014 ouster of his sister.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Chief among them is Ullman, who, like Murphy, is somehow never fazed by the frenetic ups and downs of life at the school, and then there are the kids themselves, a motley bunch whose neuroses and camaraderie recall the psych ward in Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 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
-
Her interests could hardly be more eclectic.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The band’s concerts have become a hallmark of improvisational energy that has attracted a devoted and eclectic fanbase.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Your Immune System Improves Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, such as beets, is a great way to support your natural immunity.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
4 Nov. 2025
-
SpongeBob is back, as are the colorful critters living in Zootopia.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The mind wants desperately to connect with a person—and fools itself into seeing one in a machine.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Trey Smith is expected back in the lineup, and Mahomes has had a full assortment of weapons in the passing game since the returns of Xavier Worthy (injury) and Rashee Rice (suspension).—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
2 Nov. 2025
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The brand’s advent calendar is a cookie lover’s dream, full of six varieties in an assortment of festive shapes that’ll go great with your morning cup of coffee or a mug of hot cocoa.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Several artists will compete across genre categories, and there may be no artist more varied than Turnstile.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Lost & Found In Cleveland, produced, written and directed by Marisa Guterman and Keith Gerchak, opens on about 350 screens with varied showtimes, the first film testing a new theatrical distribution and online digital marketplace called Attend developed by the Fithian Group.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In a similar vein, Louis Vuitton revived its first wristwatch with a fresh design and new movement, Vacheron Constantin reimagined the Grand Lady Kalla with colored stones, and TAG Heuer gave the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports an upgrade with rose gold and a GMT complication.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
31 Oct. 2025
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There was one case that became a major talking point — a student sued her school and the local education board for forcing her to dye her naturally light-colored hair black to comply with school rules that all students have black hair.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The sibling filmmaking duo spent most of the 2010s making a colossal two-part movie adaptation of King’s 1,138-page horror opus about a shapeshifting clown who terrorizes the small town of Derry, Maine.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
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The woman dressed as a spooky ringmaster while her husband played the part of a creepy clown.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2025.
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