1
as in colored
having blotches of two or more colors
a mottled complexion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dotted
marked with spots
mottled leather upholstery that isn't supposed to look perfect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sprinkled
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
old papers that were mottled by mold
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mottled
Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 18 Dec. 2025
Museum-caliber furniture and objects, major artworks from François Pinault’s personal collection, yards of colorful marble and bespoke, mottled carpeting add up to a sumptuous environment reminiscent of the home of a serious collector — and fiercely chic fashion plate.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 18 Nov. 2025
Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mottled
Adjective
Crowson also shot his first mottled duck.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 18 Dec. 2025
Museum-caliber furniture and objects, major artworks from François Pinault’s personal collection, yards of colorful marble and bespoke, mottled carpeting add up to a sumptuous environment reminiscent of the home of a serious collector — and fiercely chic fashion plate.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 18 Nov. 2025
Verb
But Tariq’s body was already cold, and his skin was mottled.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mottled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottled
Adjective
-
People gathered at Navy Pier on Saturday to celebrate the Hindu spring tradition of Holi, also known as the festival of colors, with music, dance, and by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder.—
Chris Sweda,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Sorting blocks into different colored buckets.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Moss wore a black, semi-sheer polka-dot blouse featuring delicate, dotted-mesh fabric that revealed a glimpse of skin underneath.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The top surface is glass and features a dotted, dark ceramic coating burned into the top of the glass that only one factory in the world can make, according to Thornton.—
PJ Green
March 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From March to May, the hiking trails are sprinkled with vibrant yellow desert marigolds, deep purple lupines, and bright red and orange Indian paintbrush blooms, among other varieties.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Smoked Arctic char from neighboring Labrador came next, layered on thick slices of brown bread and sprinkled with citrusy larch shoots.—
Gina DeCaprio Vercesi,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This smoky, green-and-black marbled nail look is the epitome of moody nail designs.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The porter's footsteps echoed back into the marbled lobby, and then even the tapping dissipated into the air or the sound of the boat’s engine.—
Vic O'Sullivan,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Rounding out the trio is the 008 recovery slide with its uniformly blue upper and a speckled gum outsole.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Variegation takes on many forms, from speckled or spotted foliage to dramatic striping.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And across the room, there's a large wardrobe that's stained to match.—
Sarah Everett,
The Spruce,
12 Mar. 2026
-
It’s been dried, stripped of bark, sanded to silky smoothness, stained, sealed and painstakingly carved.—
Kathy Gurchiek,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The whole rug needs to get wet or colors in the fiber could migrate and result in a blotched look.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Its leaves are deciduous and sometimes white-blotched.—
Howard Garrett,
Dallas News,
16 Aug. 2021
Verb
-
Locked in a safe on her desk at Boston University’s Institute for Astrophysical Research is a shard of meteorite flecked with material older than the sun.—
James Dinneen,
Quanta Magazine,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Her sky-blue eyes, flecked with silver and hazel, narrow slightly, then relax.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mottled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottled. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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