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
They were mottled brown with tiny eyes and described as a new species in 1913, dubbed, rather questionably, Moringua hodgarti. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025 June will never see the Monets, mottled and dreamy, hanging in the Musée d’Orsay. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mottle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottle
Noun
  • The loaches are generally brown and yellow, with saddle-like blotches along their backs, according to the study.
    Irene Wright July 9, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025
  • It’s usually identified by its white, fleshy taproot with reddish spots that resemble a parsnip, along with hollow stems marked by small purple blotches, according to the N.C. State Extension.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • Swap the bananas for berries or apple slices and sprinkle with cinnamon for a flavor change.
    Morgan Pearson, Verywell Health, 25 July 2025
  • House said one of her family’s favorite fiber-rich snacks is in-the-shell edamame that is steamed or microwaved and sprinkled with salt.
    Lauren Manaker MS, Health, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • In any case, there are sure to be at least a few flecks of moss or lichen, gray or gray-green, on that side.
    Ted Updike, Outdoor Life, 22 May 2025
  • The workmanship shows in the color and precision of the grout, the mottling of dark flecks, and the triangular pieces where the arches meet — details that give the façade a subliminal liveliness.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Jags traded a haul of picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up to No. 2 for two-way sensation Travis Hunter, effectively dotting the exclamation point on the new regime’s bold offseason.
    Jeff Howe, New York Times, 24 July 2025
  • Freudenberger was inspired by the Central Coast’s unique ecosystem, which is dotted with Monterey pines, cypress trees, and tide pools.
    Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • While Microsoft did release a patch for CVE-2025-53770, attackers already inside those systems could maintain persistence using other tools and chained exploits.
    Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
  • Every slugger hits a dry patch; Raleigh’s just hasn’t come yet.
    Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • However, the damage was done, thanks to the anchoring bias where the news broke, it was already stained in people’s memory.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • It was stained in several places, disintegrating around the edges, and already yellowing due to years of exposure to air and sunlight and, quite possibly, pipe tobacco.
    Darcy Ballantyne July 16, Literary Hub, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • The threatening hunk of rock appears as just a speck of light through even the strongest astronomical tools.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
  • Using data from ground and space telescopes, the researchers were able to pinpoint the moment when the first specks of planet-forming material began to coalesce around the protostar.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 18 July 2025
Verb
  • Easter eggs are peppered throughout the set, with a replica of Disney’s briefcase, books on urban development, a map of Disneyland with upcoming attractions, and a photo of Abraham Lincoln, all of which were in Disney’s office in the early ‘60s.
    Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
  • Photos peppered his and his agents’ social media, mostly of which were of Duran and Cristiano Ronaldo together.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottle. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.

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