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
-
But flecks of green were visible throughout the stadium as Algeria fans made their presence known as well.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
-
There are also flecks of red embedded throughout the pattern.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
This cool pearl blonde glimmers against a buttery backdrop for a sparkling champagne effect.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
-
Formative minutes stretched on for eternity — winning a track competition, a first kiss — but eight weeks flashed by in a hot hazy glimmer.—
Sophia Solano,
Washington Post,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
For more than a decade, MAVEN circled Mars in a highly elliptical orbit, measuring particles escaping into space and observing how the atmosphere responded to solar activity.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
17 June 2026
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Their fabric, paper, or textured surfaces attract airborne particles that often go unnoticed until they're viewed in bright daylight.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
16 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
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Pine snakes can grow up to 56 inches in length, have black, brown, and russet scales with dark blotches along their backs, and are noted for having a pointed nose, which experts believe may help with burrowing.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
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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
Noun
-
Trump’s appreciation for and emulation of the histrionics of that sport have been much discussed over the years—recall how the late Hulk Hogan ripped his shirt to shreds at the 2024 Republican National Convention to reveal a TRUMP VANCE T-shirt underneath.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
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The industry has been keeping a close eye on what Koosha and his producer Tom Rogers have been doing — namely, conjuring a movie out of thin air without a single shred of an actor, location, crew member or camera.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Sunday brings a little bit of everything.—
Damien Lodes,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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Drill bit makers who serve the oil and gas industry are replacing tungsten drill bits with steel, which wears more quickly.—
Ari Sen,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
Verb
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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
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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 21 Jun. 2026.
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