Thesaurus results for MOTTLE

mottle 1 of 2

noun

ˈmä-tᵊl

Definition of mottle

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

Relevance

mottle

2 of 2

verb

as in to sprinkle

to mark with small spots especially unevenly old papers that were mottled by mold

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Turn the mottle of ideas in your head into coherent communicable paragraphs. — New Atlas, 23 Jan. 2026 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

Verb

Its flowers are huge and orange, marked or mottled with maroon splotches. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 The foliage is typically mottled with silvery or light green variegation. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mottle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottle

Noun

Doctors detected abnormal breath sounds, and a scan revealed a round blotch in his right lung—a sign of blood, pus, fluid or tissue—but tests for common pathogens came back negative.

— Rachel Melegrito, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
Juveniles can be distinguished by their dark facial bands and gray or tan body patterned with black or brown blotches.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of blotch

Verb

With its tender texture, it can be used as a base for salads, added to pasta, sprinkled over top of a pizza, or turned into pesto.

— Molly Allen, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2026
While the platform offers a bit of everything, much of its content is geared toward the Chinese market, with English-language apps sprinkled throughout.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sprinkle

Noun

In addition, since all this debris is moving at orbital velocity, a fleck of paint traveling in the opposite direction to an operational satellite can hit it at a speed in excess of Mach 47.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
As few as 10 cells, hidden in an infinitesimal fleck of feces, can contaminate raw milk and trigger a fatal infection.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of fleck

Noun

Patching can’t keep pace In many of these incidents, the remedy is a patch, a software update engineered to close the vulnerability.

— Shae Lake, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026
Each shoe in the Kith x Timberland winter 2026 range is built with waterproof nubuck and features stitched nubuck Kith patches on its upper.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of patch

Verb

Donning a pink skirt suit and matching pillbox hat stained with fake blood, Fox stepped out as the former First Lady during an event for Urban Decay.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2026
The sculptures were frequently stained with graphite or chalk dust, whose force of presence was comparable to that of cliff or cave, capable of stunning the viewer into silence.

— News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of stain

Noun

Chips could be destroyed by even a speck of dust, so factories became impregnable clean rooms, their workers clad in bunny suits.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
The source was generally in good condition, but mold spots and dense clusters of small white specks required careful treatment.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of speck

Verb

For at least a month, the president has been peppering both executive actions and promises of cash payouts into his midterm campaign schedule and social media posts.

— Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
The Glee reboot should pepper the series with some fun cameos from beloved characters, many of whom got cast in the later shakier seasons, as well as some of the most fun guest stars.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of pepper

Browse Nearby Words

motorways

mottle

mottled

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of mottle

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

effrontery

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes