as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
old papers that were mottled by mold
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottling
Verb
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And also sprinkling in those moments of Keisha.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Jan. 2026 -
Or more like an Aromatisse sprinkling the scent of perfume around?—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Holevich adds that cleaning these surfaces promptly will help prevent long-term staining and lingering odors.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
7 Jan. 2026
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Foods like tomato sauce and chocolate can cause staining if they aren't wiped up right away.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of dotting the same black scrim, like pinholes in a two-dimensional theater backdrop, the stars were scattered through space at dramatically varying distances, a vast swarm of them filling every last corner of an even vaster, more numinous, and emphatically three-dimensional darkness.—
Michael Pollan,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
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With rows of sash windows dotting a vintage red and brown brick facade, Anmer Hall is the picture of classic Georgian charm.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Dutch, spotting an old man approaching in a canoe, sent out a sloop to investigate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Here’s where naming a Wall Street pro who’s a master of spotting where danger’s building may prove a hedge against a future calamity.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Two pumps on the back of my hand did the trick, stippling it across my red-speckled cheeks and around my nose.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
21 Dec. 2025
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The yellowing, eventually turning to brown, starts with stippling or tiny dots on the foliage where mites have pierced the leaves’ epidermis with their stylets or sucking mouthparts.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another student describes making algae yarn over winter break, boiling and dyeing it in her kitchen.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Dec. 2025
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So, we’re used to thinking about dyeing our hair—and focusing on our roots—as a corrective, routine treatment to cover gray hair.—
Irene Coltrinari,
Vogue,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In my mind, that always meant at least a plane ride's worth of travel—me in safari gear, sunlight dappling through the canopy, and swinging vines overhead.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
4 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Mottling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottling. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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