1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
only spotty business failures marred the economic boom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dotted
marked with spots
Dalmatians are spotty dogs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 spotty
Senior editor covering cleantech and advanced mobility Ready or not–and despite a spotty safety record–the EV maker is racing to launch a pilot ride service in Austin to show off its self-driving chops.
—
Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Cook over medium-high heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until spotty golden brown, about 10 minutes.
—Cathy Thomas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
That said, the track record on invocations of immunity is spotty at best.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
And the share-price action is somewhat spotty, too.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Cook over medium-high heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until spotty golden brown, about 10 minutes.
—Cathy Thomas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
That said, the track record on invocations of immunity is spotty at best.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
And the share-price action is somewhat spotty, too.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotty
Adjective
-
Though the May 31 eruption is the only one caught on official video, the USGS has received several reports of other sporadic eruptions over the past year.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
1 June 2025
-
My spring crops were slow to develop this year, stifled by sporadic frosts and bouts of dry weather.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
After intermittent closures last week, the intersection opened and the new signal system turned on Thursday.—
Kathryn Kovalenko,
Twin Cities,
6 June 2025
-
While the tech industry is also using solar and wind power, their intermittent nature means stable electricity supplies generated by nuclear reactors — but also coal and natural gas — is in high demand.—
Bloomberg News,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Because geniuses tend not to specialize in things like picking up after themselves, the human price is often paid by a long-suffering partner-secretary—wifely figures like Véra Nabokov, Sophia Tolstoy, and Alice B. Toklas, or the occasional husband like Leonard Woolf.—
S. C. Cornell,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
But such readings can hardly account for the urgency, and occasional stridency, of le Carré’s post-Cold War novels.—
Rav Grewal-Kök
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
According to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, the team's complaint is due to erratic driving behind the safety car and not leaving an appropriate gap.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
-
And some erratic vibrations were detected at points last week as the stark outperformance of year-to-date laggards over the top 2025 performers prompted some comparisons to the nasty momentum-stock reversal of February and March that upset the market well before the tariff panic.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotty. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share