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

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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

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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
Calcium shows up as bright white specks on the coronary artery images. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 Pulse a few times, until crumbs range in size from specks to peas. — Leah Eskin, Midwest Living, 14 Aug. 2026 Pay close attention to where leaves meet the stem, the underside of leaves, and within the petals for any movement or tiny specks. — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 4 Aug. 2026 The specks of dirt on the screen, that’s a byproduct of the process that Imax projectors use to advance the frames. — Chris Stanton, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specks
  1. flecks
  2. splashes
  3. particles
  4. sprinkles
  5. dots
  6. glimmers
  7. bits
  8. stains
Noun
  • Some kits include stone-like chips or flecks to scatter over the surface of the wet paint for a realistic effect.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Hundreds of flecks of sequins caught the light as Jenner made her way down the red carpet, glittering from every angle.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of flecks
Noun
  • Built in a distinctively analog way, the rooms create the illusion of endless space through the use of light, mirrors and splashes of color.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The company has built a reputation in the investment world for backing companies that have made big splashes, including Uber, Waymo and Discord.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of splashes
Noun
  • In Lower Manhattan, the collapse of the Twin Towers led to a massive dust cloud that filled the air and blanketed city blocks with ash, debris, metal, glass, asbestos, benzene and other harmful particles, according to the WTC Health program.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The main filter comes with a fine-mesh inner basket for capturing particles such as sand, pollen, and other grit.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 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
  • Most of this has already been reported (including here on The Athletic), but Torre and crew do a great job of laying it out, from beginning to end, and connecting all the dots in between.
    — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Two dots tapped in with a finger and boom, your blush routine is done.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of dots
Noun
  • People have always looked for errant glimmers of the dead in the world around them, but now the past runs parallel to — imprints upon, and circles around — the present to a degree that can severely confuse the relationship between the two.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Peppered amid the challenges for 2025 were glimmers of hope through successes like Weapons ($270 million globally on a $38 million budget), while modestly budgeted reboots Freakier Friday and Final Destination Bloodlines also turned profits.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of glimmers
Noun
  • There were small tables that needed gluing, and there was always clothing to be mended, and, on this day, a lawn chair whose shredded side pieces were being replaced with unmatching but whimsical bits of material.
    — Lydia Davis, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the best bits are when there is no violence at all, said Jo Lawson-Tancred on Artnet.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of bits
Verb
  • Advocates argue carts are silent, occupy less space than tourist vans and buses, and don’t choke the air with exhaust that also stains historic monuments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The man lies a few yards behind them, but the image stains her field of vision.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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