1
as in fleck
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
a lizard with specks of white against a green body
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in glimmer
a very small amount
not a speck of explanation to accompany the book's pictures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in particle
a very small piece
a speck of dust was preventing the laser from reading the disc
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to sprinkle
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
dirt that had specked the windows of the factory for ages
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of speck
Mike Wall, Space.com, 18 May 2026
As in Kourliandski’s quartet, specks and splatters of sound are interspersed with silences.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
New York Times, 16 Nov. 2019
For all its strengths, though, the series proves a bit of a slog, at times, as the wheels turn along the dusty, blood-specked road to wherever this maze leads.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 19 Apr. 2018
See All Example Sentences for speck
Noun
There are blue spots, specks, scratches, flares, and bits of crud in almost ALL of the Apollo photos.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 18 May 2026
As in Kourliandski’s quartet, specks and splatters of sound are interspersed with silences.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Verb
The 656-foot vessel, called the Golden Ray, has been lying since early September off a slice of the Georgia coast specked with resorts and sprawling high-dollar homes.
—New York Times, 16 Nov. 2019
For all its strengths, though, the series proves a bit of a slog, at times, as the wheels turn along the dusty, blood-specked road to wherever this maze leads.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 19 Apr. 2018
See All Example Sentences for speck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speck
Noun
-
The light had a wintry grain, with flecks of color suspended in it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Vermiculite, a fine, puffed, gold flecks mica, which helps with drainage.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
But those first glimmers, scientists now say, were likely misleading.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
8 Dec. 2025
-
By contrast, in some parts of the South and West, where home construction has picked up in some markets, there are glimmers of hope, Gailey said, pointing to stronger tax incentives and looser permitting requirements as policies that could boost construction.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Seasonal allergies are primarily caused by trees and grasses, whose tiny pollen particles travel on the wind.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
-
Tiny silica beads about 10 microns in diameter are projected at the polymer at about 750 meters per second (over 1,600 miles per hour) with the amount of energy absorbed measured by calculating the change in particle velocity before and after the beads pass through.—
Shirl Leigh
June 10,
New Atlas,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Solo travelers were abundant, though most travelers were couples, with a few families sprinkled in too.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
The event featured game-play and events sprinkled throughout the city and partnerships with the White Sox, the Field Museum and the Lincoln Park Zoo.—
Felicity Abbott,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Inadequate iron causes young leaves to appear yellow with green veins, while magnesium deficiency causes blotches or spots on older leaves.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 June 2026
-
The sides may be mottled with brown blotches.—
Ken Perrotte,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
In a shred of good news for those who hate the frigid weather, this cold blast could be relatively short-lived.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Even as the ground seems to shake underneath Maia’s feet, Lorene Scafaria’s directing picks up every shred of tension with laser precision.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Magnitude’s trainer Steve Asmussen bit through his disappointment to observe in a most sporting manner that Sovereignty’s talent was generational.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
When Democrats argue, oh, actually statistically, crime is a little bit down since 2023.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Few sites, however, became such frequent battlegrounds as the parking lots of Home Depots, where day laborers congregate, or were hit as persistently and severely as the open air car washes that dot sunny Southern California.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Lighthouses Ten lighthouses, some still in service (and one in ruins), dot the Apostle Islands.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speck. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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