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
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
Those make up a motley assortment, including Amazon user reviews, the publication BroadwayWorld, and the progressive site Daily Kos.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 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
Daisy, and a motley group of co-workers, toil in a cottage industry of agencies that evaluate harmful and offensive pictures and videos uploaded to social media.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
Those make up a motley assortment, including Amazon user reviews, the publication BroadwayWorld, and the progressive site Daily Kos.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 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
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In an eclectic town in the heart of the Delta, one of the most distinctive homes in the Sacramento area is for sale for $2.4 million.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2025
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Daniel Glass Trio Fairfield Theatre Company, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield The eclectic pop/jazz/funk/whatever trio led by drummer Daniel Glass and including guitarist Sean Harkness and bassist Michael O’Brien plays at Fairfield Theatre Company on June 20 at 8 p.m. $34, $31 FTC members.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
Aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, are colorful ribbons of light that weave across Earth's northern or southern polar regions, according to NASA.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
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Truth be told, these portraits can be colorful, impactful statements in any room.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
14 June 2025
Noun
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Fans can also look forward to performances by the iconic Silver Spurs Quadrille, the adorable antics of kids competing in Mutton Bustin’, and plenty of laughs courtesy of the ever-entertaining rodeo clowns.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2025
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His wife, Susan, a sweet woman with short grey hair, worked as a dental hygienist and performed as a clown named Jubilee at hospitals, nursing homes, parties — even the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Fine Mess Bakery offers an assortment of beautiful pastries and, on weekends, excellent bread, while Isabel’s Espresso has coffee lovers covered.—
Leslie Kelly,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Walmart stores have an assortment of over 150,000 items in a location.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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While a small study found that bananas may reduce flavanol absorption, experts say the impact is minor in the context of a varied, balanced diet.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
5 June 2025
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The swatting varied but mostly included threats to destroy buildings and kill or injure people, and the threats targeted individuals with large social media presences whom Szabo thought may react publicly, according to court documents.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and the city’s essential billionaire investor, Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto, is no fool.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
-
Tobias is Flashlight’s court fool, a source of chaos, comedy, and pathos.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2025
Noun
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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
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Instead, voters themselves are jumbles of competing and sometimes contradictory interests.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Shot in slow motion from overhead, the sequence features a bandaged and bloodied Korda eating, reading, and smoking in his bath as assorted nurses and household staff flit around him as if in a ballet.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
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The painting of a colorful bouquet of assorted flowers is on the building of Schmidt Design Group, a landscape architecture and planning firm, at 1310 Rosecrans St. The completion of the mural was celebrated May 28 with a community reception.—
Madison Beveridge,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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