as in blotches
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
the bleach left a small white splotch on my shirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in sprinkles
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
ink from a leaking pen had badly splotched his shirt pocket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of splotches
Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
The dots soon became acrid splotches of oil.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Benedikt Althaus, who goes by Xariif, wore a tiger fursuit draped in red, white and blue stripes and splotches, reminiscent of the American flag.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
Though this sounds bad, often the only symptom is visible red splotches.
—Brad Stulberg, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
The other is an overlay of orange and yellow splotches on the land.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Types Of Mangaves ‘Bad Hair Day’ has narrow lime-green leaves with red splotches and a fun, cascading habit.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
Various images circulating on social media show the Rigid Levi’s x Air Jordan 3 SP with splotches of what appears to be mold across its blue denim upper.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 22 Feb. 2026
Deer print nails give classic polka dots a more rustic, fanciful feel as the precise dots are replaced with freehand splotches.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
Maybe, maybe, maybe— Hans turned back to his board, red splotches rising on his cheeks.
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
The dots soon became acrid splotches of oil.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Benedikt Althaus, who goes by Xariif, wore a tiger fursuit draped in red, white and blue stripes and splotches, reminiscent of the American flag.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
Though this sounds bad, often the only symptom is visible red splotches.
—Brad Stulberg, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
The other is an overlay of orange and yellow splotches on the land.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Types Of Mangaves ‘Bad Hair Day’ has narrow lime-green leaves with red splotches and a fun, cascading habit.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
Various images circulating on social media show the Rigid Levi’s x Air Jordan 3 SP with splotches of what appears to be mold across its blue denim upper.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 22 Feb. 2026
Deer print nails give classic polka dots a more rustic, fanciful feel as the precise dots are replaced with freehand splotches.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splotches
Noun
-
The eggs vary in color—from white to blue to brown—with speckles, blotches, and other markings and are also distinctive in shape.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Early salt damage often appears as pale, chalky blotches or uneven fading in the paint finish.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But for every shirt bearing a slogan, there were ten cheeks covered in (biodegradable) glitter like the kind that Diggins sprinkles on her face before every race.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Groff sprinkles this punchy, athletic syntax over a slew of intricate settings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
Barnett dots up Knight for a 57-yard catch-and-run.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Rather than the stiff alien chitchat that dots his own screenplays, the characters in The Favourite trade the witty, venomous bon mots of The Great creator Tony McNamara.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage, and seams.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage and seams.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Choose sustainable solutions, not quick, leaky patches.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But there are patches of sun, too.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On the first day of high school, introverted Okuto Nakumara spots his classmate Aiki Hirose in the crowd of an assembly, and immediately falls head over heels for him.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In the clip, posted by Juls Piles (@julspiles), the 21-year-old can be seen swimming away from a boat to retrieve her floatie in the sea, when her brother suddenly spots a shark in the water.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splotches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splotches. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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