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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mottle
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
Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2025
These spots stand out against dark brown backgrounds, mottling their typically beige or gray bodies.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for 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
The soil was mottled with sheep droppings and uneven patches of grass.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2025
These spots stand out against dark brown backgrounds, mottling their typically beige or gray bodies.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mottle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottle
Noun
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This fungal disease causes yellow blotches on pumpkins, tomato leaves, squash and cucumbers.—
Clarence Schmidt,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2025
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Photos depict a heartbreaking sight, with Hector’s rib cage protruding through his weakened body as red blotches line his ivory and brown coat.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The American Salad Book, written by Maximilian De Loup, and published in 1899, includes a salad of fresh pears, peeled and sliced, sprinkled with sugar, drizzled with a maraschino or ginger syrup and served with cream.—
Anne Byrn,
Southern Living,
9 May 2025
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Only a handful of headstones are sprinkled throughout the 1-acre tract at the front of Five Points Park near Johnson C. Smith University.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Each shot is a singular moment in time, and plates are sometimes imbued with not just the emotional weight of the image but also flecks of dust kicked up by passing dump trucks full of debris.—
Marah Eakin,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Then, a volunteer lit the pyre, and flecks of ashes swirled in the air.—
Sui-Lee Wee,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The series of parables and contained narratives are also dotted with evidence of time travel.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
13 May 2025
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In spring, the area will be dotted with wild blooms of sticky monkey flower, canyon sunflower and golden yarrow.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Such a rough patch at Barcelona, where Miami’s elite quartet — and Mascherano — plied their trade, would have likely been catastrophic.—
Martin Rogers,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
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Soon after release, one more major lighting feature, Ray Reconstruction, will be added in a post-launch patch.—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
12 May 2025
Verb
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Water can stain or fade many silk fabrics, leaving a permanent mark if it isn't taken care of quickly.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
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Tuesday’s attack – during which men were singled out and gunned down from close range, according to survivors’ testimony – was the latest in a list of bloody incidents to stain the region.—
Aishwarya S Iyer,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Within the span of a few days, an innocuous speck can turn a loaf of bread from prime sandwich material into a hideous mass of blue-green fuzz—an appetite-killing sight if ever there was one.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
1 May 2025
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The dark speck near the bottom at the end of the line is Curiosity.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Still, the political digs are peppered in the string.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2025
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Relying heavily on his four-seam fastball, Ryan peppered the zone and struck out the side in the second and third innings.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottle. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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