mottle 1 of 2

as in blotch
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part canvases covered with streaks and mottles

Synonyms & Similar Words

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mottle

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

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 mottle
Noun
As branching coral look-alikes, the cuttlefish splayed out their arms and displayed dark mottles to blend in with staghorn coral. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025 Remember to continue your daily sunscreen use to stave off more mottle. Katie Becker, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 Oct. 2015
Verb
Remains of a Styrofoam food container, mottled with mud. Lizz Schumer, People.com, 17 June 2025 Red spots mottled his face; Edwards was sick with measles, too. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mottle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottle
Noun
  • This fungal disease appears as gray blotches on the bark, eventually developing into sunken cankers.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The belly is tan or gray with dark blotches.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • These pastries are made from laminated dough, rolled thin, sprinkled with sugar and baked until crisp, golden and flaky.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The shareable treat features Galactic Brownie ice cream, fudge drizzle, M&Ms candies, and Halloween sprinkles atop a double fudge brownie crust.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One blink, and it was gone again, just another fleck in the mulch.
    Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Yes, these flecks are seeds that were once inside of a vanilla bean, confirms Britton.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Over the past year, a lot has happened in the form of recovery for these towns dotting the mountains of Western North Carolina.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Beneath a pink bow laden with rhinestones, colorful floral paper was dotted with rhinestones laid in heart and star shapes.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Fall is in full swing, and that means now is the time to seek out autumnal experiences like leaf peeping and pumpkin patch wandering.
    Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Don’t forget to check out Prime Day deals on Amazon’s bestselling beauty products, like the $7 Tree Hut Vanilla Shea Sugar Scrub and these 38% off under-eye patches for dark circles, puffiness, and more.
    Katrina Cossey, Parents, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Skipping regular washes—Letting white towels sit too long between washes gives body oils, makeup, and mildew more time to settle into the fibers and stain them permanently.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
  • For years, the fashion industry’s color palette has come at a steep price—plastic-heavy pigments, toxic dyes and dirty processes that stain more than fabric.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Every splash of rain, speck of dust, or pinprick of light could mar the negative.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • On our table are a plate of thin-sliced speck, ham, and cheese, a dish with curls of homemade butter that look like tiny beehives, two pots of homemade strawberry and apricot jam, and a jar of golden honey from the farm bees.
    R29 Team, Refinery29, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But in many smaller ways, Harris peppers her narrative with places where the Biden White House undercut her or failed to support her.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The gap in government services will be painful, and Democratic senators and aides report constituents are already peppering them with questions about the shutdown.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottle. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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