1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
only spotty business failures marred the economic boom
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dotted
marked with spots
Dalmatians are spotty dogs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spotty
The internet is spotty in the village, which means voice messages every week or two, and no FaceTime.
—
Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
For starters, Pullman’s world-building is spotty, probably intentionally so.
—Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
And those trying to sell real estate right now, struggling with a spotty, slumpy market since the post-pandemic boom, are eager to make a sale in any currency.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2025
But despite the consistent academic interest around the globe, actual implementation of circular solutions has been spotty.
—Justin Worland, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
For starters, Pullman’s world-building is spotty, probably intentionally so.
—Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
And those trying to sell real estate right now, struggling with a spotty, slumpy market since the post-pandemic boom, are eager to make a sale in any currency.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2025
But despite the consistent academic interest around the globe, actual implementation of circular solutions has been spotty.
—Justin Worland, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotty
Adjective
-
During the current shutdown, there have been sporadic reports of unauthorized drone use, and law enforcement rangers are responding as normal.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
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And while many say Dexcom is aware of the issue, users describe the company’s response as limited primarily to silence, apologies, and sporadic replacements.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Neighboring water molecules interact with one another by way of hydrogen bonds, depicted with dotted lines in this drawing.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Oct. 2025
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This reversible quilt has a hint of floral romance on one side and a more minimalist dotted print on the other.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In the footage, the sounds come on in waves, rattling through the valley in intermittent thunders.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Golden State’s heavy reliance on intermittent renewables such as wind and solar creates major reliability gaps when the sun sets or the wind stalls.—
Lora Myers,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In a similar vein, Louis Vuitton revived its first wristwatch with a fresh design and new movement, Vacheron Constantin reimagined the Grand Lady Kalla with colored stones, and TAG Heuer gave the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports an upgrade with rose gold and a GMT complication.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
31 Oct. 2025
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There was one case that became a major talking point — a student sued her school and the local education board for forcing her to dye her naturally light-colored hair black to comply with school rules that all students have black hair.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There are occasional reminders that the Mafia lingers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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All the pieces seem to fit, producing a symphony of contact and occasional crescendo of slug.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Even when participants’ average blood pressure seemed healthy, those with the most erratic readings — combined with stiffer arteries — showed telltale signs of brain aging, the study found.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Think of the harms of erratic schedules akin to the way dripping water can erode stone.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotty. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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