1
as in colored
having blotches of two or more colors
a mottled complexion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dotted
marked with spots
mottled leather upholstery that isn't supposed to look perfect
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sprinkled
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
old papers that were mottled by mold
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mottled
Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
The outcome is a pleasingly mottled appearance that earns comparisons to denim, which is similarly woven with a colored warp and a white weft but is milled as a more dense and substantial twill.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 7 July 2025
Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mottled
Adjective
These feisty birds, which can run up to 15-20 mph, are recognizable by their mottled feathers, long tails, long legs and short head crest — which is more brownish than the bright blue in the cartoon.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
The outcome is a pleasingly mottled appearance that earns comparisons to denim, which is similarly woven with a colored warp and a white weft but is milled as a more dense and substantial twill.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 7 July 2025
Verb
The Illinois skies are mottled.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mottled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottled
Adjective
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Brightly colored berries are another strategy that plants have devised to disperse their seeds.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
26 Sep. 2025
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Well … are the requests for construction paper and colored pencils?—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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However, satellite and supporting video filmed from a high rise on Al Rashid, a major road that runs through Gaza, shows tent camps remain dotted along the coastal road south of Gaza's port.—
Camilla Alcini,
ABC News,
17 Sep. 2025
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Salesforce contract renewals often become routine exercises—reviewing user counts, negotiating minor discounts and signing on the dotted line.—
Buyan Thyagarajan,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These pastries are made from laminated dough, rolled thin, sprinkled with sugar and baked until crisp, golden and flaky.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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In 1903 and from 1905 through 1968, baseball’s World Series matched two pennant winners; teams went directly from winning the AL or NL to the championship best-of-seven (with a few best-of-nines sprinkled in).—
Zach Powell,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This red marbled stone feels like an homage to Paloma Elsesser's spa-like bathroom.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
3 Oct. 2025
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This marbled glass cellar, in my favorite moody mix of rust and olive, is smaller than the Bee House, but the swirly colors bring me so much joy with every lid lift and pinch.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This golden bouquet, which comes in a speckled brown ceramic pot, adds moody vibes and a pop of fall-friendly color, to the countertops, table, or coffee table.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
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On the platform, around the clock, the racket of metal bore pipes and machinery, the drilling grime and the speckled mud mingled with the quieter, cleaner work of scientists in trailers converted to pristine labs and processing posts.—
Rodrique Ngowi,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Replace the stained, ripped, and pilling linens with crisp sets to refresh your bedding and ditch or repurpose the miscellaneous ones in your linen cabinet too.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
28 Sep. 2025
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In his third season in Boulder, coach Deion Sanders continues to lament an issue that ruined his first season and stained his second.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An invasive planthopper native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly is thought to have entered the U.S. via egg masses on a stone shipment in 2012, according to Cornell Integrated Pest Management.—
Katie Nixon,
The Tennessean,
25 Aug. 2025
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The shoe got endorsements from celebrities early on after their rerelease, with stars like Dua Lipa, Emily Ratajkowski and more spotted wearing it.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Behind Timm was her unassuming garden, flecked with tall grasses and native plants of all sizes – a quiet haven alive with color, movement and purpose.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Éclairs with glossy chocolate tops, macarons in muted pastels that feel like edible architecture, madeleines flecked with salt or spice.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mottled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottled. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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