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
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
Though the process was led by the city government, a series of competitions yielded a motley and colorful collection of five- to eight-story buildings that house 13,000 residents surrounding a central park.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Dec. 2025
Rudy Lee, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
This made us—with all our human, mortal limitations—rather like the God of all those past centuries of belief, or should that be credulity: the God who retained and stored away everything in his motley, moveless time, in which nothing was new or old, remote or recent.
—Margaret Jull Costa, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for motley
Adjective
This year's cast also features a handful of other reality luminaries — Dancing With the Stars' Mark Ballas and Top Chef's Kristen Kish — and a motley assortment of actors (Stephen Colletti, Michael Rapaport), Olympic figure skaters (Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski), and drag queens (Monét X Change).
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
Though the process was led by the city government, a series of competitions yielded a motley and colorful collection of five- to eight-story buildings that house 13,000 residents surrounding a central park.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Dec. 2025
Noun
Kaan kaan wu, with its motley of melds, is where these two tiles from different suits can be used in a clean-sweeping hand.
—Rudy Lee, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
This made us—with all our human, mortal limitations—rather like the God of all those past centuries of belief, or should that be credulity: the God who retained and stored away everything in his motley, moveless time, in which nothing was new or old, remote or recent.
—Margaret Jull Costa, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for motley
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motley
Adjective
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The event, ClawCon NYC, held Wednesday night, brought together an eclectic crowd that ranged from college students and working moms to hedge fund technology teams.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
8 Mar. 2026
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From the West Coast’s majestic mountains to the prairie ecoregions of the Great Plains to the white sand dunes in New Mexico, the resource zeroed in on the small towns that feature the best views of the nation's eclectic scenery.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The latter is popular with professionals for its colorful adjuster shades—liquid pigments in unnatural colors that can alter the tone of your base.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
11 Mar. 2026
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As a twist on a traditional ambrosia salad, this colorful punch brings in all the same flavors with orange juice, pineapple juice, coconut water, and maraschino cherries, plus more citrus and mint to garnish.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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K’Lavon Chaisson is available, too, but paying players after a breakout season is generally a fool’s errand.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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And only a fool cannot see that the vast majority of Iranians wanted this regime to be removed from their lives.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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So often, luxury hotel beds are quietly elegant, deep, and sumptuous—perhaps dressed in high-thread-count Frette linens or topped with a generous assortment of cushy pillows—but there’s not always a ton of visible design that goes into the actual bed setup itself.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
Architectural Digest,
9 Mar. 2026
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Area 15 is a mixed-use experiential playground, offering up an impressive assortment of retail, dining, nightlife and immersive activities.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Los Angeles Metro Lost & Found office off Pasadena Avenue in Montecito Heights has items as varied as cellphones and blowtorches that have been found by Metro staff or security guards on buses and rail lines.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Sabalenka played an airtight first set, displaying complete mastery over the varied aspects of her game, and zipped to a 3-1 lead.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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People gathered at Navy Pier on Saturday to celebrate the Hindu spring tradition of Holi, also known as the festival of colors, with music, dance, and by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder.—
Chris Sweda,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Sorting blocks into different colored buckets.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Noem was the public face of that disapproval, strutting forward with arrogance in the face of public censure, a veritable clown show of ineptitude.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
How did clowns become a protest symbol?—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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