as in fleck
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
the cat has a speckle of orange right at her whiskers
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Recent Examples of speckle
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Their belly is white with black speckles while their wings and back are black with white.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Feb. 2026
In the stock image of a royal robe lined with white fur speckled in black, each speckle represents the tail of one dead stoat.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speckle
Noun
Another is speckle imaging, which uses sequences of extremely short exposures to freeze out that same motion.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Their belly is white with black speckles while their wings and back are black with white.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
The resulting cookies are speckled like bird food (in a good way) and as fueling as a protein bar (without any of the weird ingredients).
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Feb. 2026
In the stock image of a royal robe lined with white fur speckled in black, each speckle represents the tail of one dead stoat.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speckle
Noun
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Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
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Using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scholars determined that the ancient off-white fluid was composed of calcite, huntite, and miniscule flecks of yellow orpiment, a highly toxic sulfide of arsenic that Egyptians also used in medicine to treat syphilis and malaria.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From March to May, the hiking trails are sprinkled with vibrant yellow desert marigolds, deep purple lupines, and bright red and orange Indian paintbrush blooms, among other varieties.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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The chain has more than a few Charlotte restaurants with spots in Madison Park, Steele Creek and East Charlotte, plus others sprinkled across the metro — Concord, Kannapolis, Fort Mill and Rock Hill (the latter two opened in 2024).—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As for the killings of his wife and in-laws, Zeigler’s lawyers contend the real killer would have blood spatter on their clothes, which Zeigler did not save for two specks of Perry Edwards’ blood on his shoes.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The specks of warmth salvaged from the inside of the patrol car, which had clung to his skin under his gray sweatpants and hooded striped sweatshirt, soon fell away.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Paramount building is dotted with cool, of-the-moment shops, while the Royal Poinciana Plaza continues to anchor the island’s modern luxury scene after its 2017 refresh, drawing new energy each season.—
Skye Sherman,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Mar. 2026
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Soon after its publication, the novel became available in a cheap paperback and was on sale in the newspaper kiosks that dotted downtown Barcelona.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her zapping turns her entire head of hair — not just a streak — shocking white à la Jean Harlow, and leaves an oddly-appealing black blotch on her cheek.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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Its purple black center was surrounded by blotches of varying shades and textures, raised or sunken at places.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
It’s been dried, stripped of bark, sanded to silky smoothness, stained, sealed and painstakingly carved.—
Kathy Gurchiek,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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While standard cast iron typically requires seasoning to both preserve and maintain its quality and help prevent food from sticking, this cast iron is equipped with a black matte satin interior enamel coating that’s made to resist cracking, chipping, and staining.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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How dopamine patches are marketed Dopamine plays a key role in encouraging us to stay motivated, and research suggests ADHD may be linked to issues with the way dopamine is transmitted within the brain.—
Helena Kudiabor,
SELF,
13 Mar. 2026
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Finneas in seafoam-green under-eye patches, Ariana Madix in purple on the Taco Bell purple carpet, and Benson Boone doing a backflip to announce a dessert Crunchwrap.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Turtlenecks and flannels abound, teens vocally question authority at every turn, and a colorful cast of intellectuals pepper the scene.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
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Who remembers the aggressive line of questions Flores peppered Tagovailoa with at the NFL Combine back in 2020, before Miami even drafted him.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speckle. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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