specks 1 of 2

noun

plural of speck
1
as in flecks
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 splashes
a very small amount not a speck of explanation to accompany the book's pictures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in particles
a very small piece a speck of dust was preventing the laser from reading the disc

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

specks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of speck
as in sprinkles
to mark with small spots especially unevenly dirt that had specked the windows of the factory for ages

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of specks
Noun
Six months later, there was hope of reconciliation as sovereignty talks opened between the governments over the specks in the ocean that had been part of the British Empire for more than a century. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2026 Bellinger, once a babyface, now sports some light specks of gray. — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 15 July 2026 One released a chaff cascade—hell’s own monsoon manifesting as specks of light, sound, and EM pulses falling through the hanging garden. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026 Kansas City isn't much of a pedestrian city, but now, blue and green specks of fans dot the sidewalks, like wildflowers poking through a crack in the pavement. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 June 2026 Flash frames, scratches and specks of dust pop up randomly on the screen. — Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 This looks like tiny black or reddish-brown specks that resemble coffee grounds. — Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026 But such interludes add up to small specks of stormclouds in the show’s otherwise sunny skies. — Alison Herman, Variety, 2 June 2026 Most astronomers now agree that each of these minuscule crimson specks—which bear a striking resemblance to enormous, faraway stars—actually has a burgeoning black hole at its center. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specks
  1. flecks
  2. splashes
  3. particles
  4. sprinkles
  5. dots
  6. glimmers
  7. bits
  8. stains
Noun
  • One image of her right knee showed flecks of blue plastic that prosecutors said came from an inflatable pool Burke used to collect blood while dismembering her body.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026
  • Someone unfamiliar with salt bread might even suspect a major baking error, seeing a questionably smooth croissant that entirely missed the lamination process, adorned with only a few flecks of salt acting as its saving grace.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 19 July 2026
Definition of flecks
Noun
  • Designed to feel more like island residential living, all accommodations include a kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, and private outdoor space set against a palette of deep earth tones and splashes of aqua blue.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • From Ancient Greek Sandals to Christopher Esber, these foam footbeds and jelly straps can handle sandy shores and poolside splashes, while being some of the easiest shoes to pack up.
    — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of splashes
Noun
  • Giant fans at the air bases would blow the pale particles around, Jack said, putting him directly in the path of the chemical.
    — Nicole Borman, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Collisions among these particles separate positive and negative electric charges within the cloud.
    — Yunyao Li, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of particles
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
  • The back of the tiles has a matching pattern with the dots, bams and craks (the game’s three main numerical suit types) printed in pink, green and blue.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Every Experience Adds Another Dot Kaplan compares brand building to pointillism, the artistic technique in which individual dots ultimately form a larger image.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of dots
Noun
  • But take a closer look and the report actually provides glimmers of hope.
    — TerDawn DeBoe, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • There were glimmers of form from Yoane Wissa (DR Congo) and Anthony Elanga (Sweden), both of whom need to hit the ground running in the coming season.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of glimmers
Noun
  • Sea bass crudo is a refreshing start, the succulent slices of fish interspersed with fresh mango and bits of teardrop pepper.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • This naturally generated probabilistic bits, or p-bits which aren’t fixed as zeros or ones, but fluctuate according to incoming data.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026
Definition of bits
Verb
  • When that protective finish gets damaged, the toilet actually stains easier and is harder to keep clean over time.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
  • What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of stains

Browse Nearby Words

speckling
specks
specs
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Cite this Entry

“Specks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specks. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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