mottles 1 of 2

noun

plural of mottle
as in flecks
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part canvases covered with streaks and mottles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

mottles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mottle
as in sprinkles
to mark with small spots especially unevenly old papers that were mottled by mold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottles
  1. flecks
  2. sprinkles
  3. specks
  4. dots
  5. blotches
  6. stains
  7. patches
  8. spots
Noun
  • The oversized jacket featured a furry white base adorned with flecks of silver, which beautifully mirrored the sumptuous coats on the runway.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Add the torn basil and process just until incorporated -- there will be flecks of green in the mixture.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of flecks
Verb
  • Kemery sprinkles the tiny seeds either in late fall or very early spring, when there’s still a chance of frost, since cold spells offer the best germination.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026
  • Thomson sprinkles critique throughout his book like seasoning unevenly applied to a gamey piece of meat.
    — Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
Definition of sprinkles
Noun
  • Calcium shows up as bright white specks on the coronary artery images.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Pulse a few times, until crumbs range in size from specks to peas.
    — Leah Eskin, Midwest Living, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of specks
Verb
  • Prepare to be dazzled from Warsaw’s highest viewing terrace atop Varso Tower, which proudly dots the skyline, before eating your way through the innovative food halls that define the coolest neighborhoods.
    — Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
  • Japanese linens top the bed, and designer furniture dots the living space.
    — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
Definition of dots
Noun
  • 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
  • Crews are also using steam to remove blotches of chewing gum, which have turned black over time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of blotches
Verb
  • Advocates argue carts are silent, occupy less space than tourist vans and buses, and don’t choke the air with exhaust that also stains historic monuments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The man lies a few yards behind them, but the image stains her field of vision.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of stains
Noun
  • Elsewhere in the top 10 were Eos and The Ordinary, while Hero Cosmetics took the number-10 spot for its signature pimple patches.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The support page is meant for IT administrators, and mainly reiterates what Google already announced, including regular updates and security patches for ChromeOS through mid-2034.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of patches
Verb
  • Anyone who spots Rio is urged to stay 100 yards away, and to report any sightings to their website or the WhaleAlert app.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Claude spots hidden repeats One Claude agent focused on an unusual reverse transcriptase family and began examining the raw DNA surrounding it.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of spots
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.

Browse Nearby Words

mottled
mottles
mottling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mottles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottles. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of heterodox

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All