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
June will never see the Monets, mottled and dreamy, hanging in the Musée d’Orsay. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025 The Argentine tegu has mottled black and white skin. Cheryl McCloud, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mottle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottle
Noun
  • Verticillium wilt causes similar blotches and yellowing.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2025
  • Nebular patches alternate with blotches of jet; just visible in the foreground is a circle of white dots crossed with lines that meet at its center, like a spoked wheel of stars.
    Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • With eviction looming by their landlord’s 6 p.m. deadline, these two embark upon a manic ride to come up with cash, with simple errands turning into shady pawn shop dealings, impromptu blood donations and sneaker hustles (with surprise celebrity encounters sprinkling their affairs).
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • At a typical gathering, one by one, each ingredient is added to the dish on a platter, with the host sprinkling nuts, seeds, spices and dressing over the salad.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 19 June 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
  • Nearby nature reserves offer hiking and wildlife watching, and over 50 golf courses dot the region, including some of the oldest courses in the world.
    Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • Airboat tour attractions and gift shops dot the highway.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025
Noun
  • My thick Florida grass is plagued by fuzzy patches where my robomower cut imperfectly.
    Anthony Karcz, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Sting later said that the idea for his first solo album,The Dream of the Blue Turtles, came to him in a dream about this very garden, a charming, quiet patch of greenery that unlocked a new creative chapter.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • But with Victoria’s Secret, Super inherited a beleaguered brand stained by upheaval and scandal.
    Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 28 June 2025
  • White signaled cleanliness, leisure and a house filled with staff who could get those pesky grass stains out.
    Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Maxine was a once little bitty speck of a thing who had a pretty rough start in life.
    TJ Macias, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025
  • All told, the specks of light captured in the image showcase about 10 million galaxies, or just 0.05% of the roughly 20 billion galaxies Rubin will image in the next decade.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Amazing parks pepper the entire country, but set your sights on the west coast and Manuel Antonio National Park, with its lovely beaches, or northwest of San José for Arenal Volcano National Park, where visitors can take in the park’s namesake dormant volcano and natural hot springs.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 8 July 2025
  • In a format reminiscent of the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuits, text messages — some more suggestive than others — pepper the 46-page filing from L.A. attorney Jonathan J. Delshad.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottle. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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