as in discovery
the act or process of sighting or learning the existence of something for the first time
the spotting of a new bird is always a thrill for an avid bird-watcher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
to give the effect of sunlight on water, the artist spotted the lake in his painting with flecks of gold paint
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I spotted both of them as they tried to sneak out the back door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spraying
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
the TV networks had spotted reporters all over the state for the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spotting
Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Farther east, Amsterdamse Bos is a forest three times larger than Central Park, with lots of trails and wildlife spotting—and even a ropes-and-zip line course.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 1 Oct. 2025
Capitol Reef was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2015, and autumn's cool, clear nights are a great time to go constellation spotting.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
In MLPerf Tiny benchmarks, the X160 Gen 2 reportedly delivered 2x the performance of competing solutions with a similar small footprint, across workloads like keyword spotting, image classification, and anomaly detection.
—Marco Chiappetta, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
As the inversion lifts in the afternoon, fire behavior will increase to the north and northeast, with group torching, spotting, and uphill runs in mixed conifer stands containing heavy dead and down material.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Kissing Bugs Kissing bugs are small, dark, wingless insects with reddish spotting.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2025
Enjoy a Florida-style expedition at the 1,322-acre Micro Scrub Sanctuary, a natural scrubby flatwoods and mesic flatwoods habitat that includes miles of trails for hiking, biking, and wildlife spotting.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
To accomplish this, Barton turned to the fundamental dance technique of spotting, where the dancer finds a focal point in front of them and whips their head around to hold that focus spot and keep themself centered.
—Oliver Sava, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
With a little awareness and the right tools, spotting and avoiding these scams becomes much easier.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Alexander Castelo, 35, leaped into action after hearing a woman’s cries for help and spotting the boy in the lake at the Villas on The Green, according to WPLG.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
With all the flashbulbs, fashion, and starpower on the red carpet, you could be forgiven for not spotting Sean O’Kelly and Sami Arpa at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2025
Along the way, expect river views, a majestic fall color palette, and the occasional wildlife spotting.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Shoppers have already started spotting Pumpkin Caramel Kringles in the weekly ALDI Finds section for $7, compared to the $10 price tag at Trader Joe’s, making this indulgent treat even more tempting to grab on your next grocery run.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2025
Even after the sensors are gone, farmers who used them get better at spotting pests.
—Atin Adhikari, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Beckett descended with Finn on his shoulders, no easy feat, with father, Mark, spotting them a yard or so away.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
According to Us Weekly, the first spotting of this tattoo was in April 2021 at the ACM Awards.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Farther east, Amsterdamse Bos is a forest three times larger than Central Park, with lots of trails and wildlife spotting—and even a ropes-and-zip line course.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 1 Oct. 2025
Capitol Reef was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2015, and autumn's cool, clear nights are a great time to go constellation spotting.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
In MLPerf Tiny benchmarks, the X160 Gen 2 reportedly delivered 2x the performance of competing solutions with a similar small footprint, across workloads like keyword spotting, image classification, and anomaly detection.
—Marco Chiappetta, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
As the inversion lifts in the afternoon, fire behavior will increase to the north and northeast, with group torching, spotting, and uphill runs in mixed conifer stands containing heavy dead and down material.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Kissing Bugs Kissing bugs are small, dark, wingless insects with reddish spotting.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2025
Enjoy a Florida-style expedition at the 1,322-acre Micro Scrub Sanctuary, a natural scrubby flatwoods and mesic flatwoods habitat that includes miles of trails for hiking, biking, and wildlife spotting.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
To accomplish this, Barton turned to the fundamental dance technique of spotting, where the dancer finds a focal point in front of them and whips their head around to hold that focus spot and keep themself centered.
—Oliver Sava, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Health inspectors closed the Southeast Asian restaurant after spotting several live adult and juvenile German cockroaches in areas including under sinks.
—Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
With a little awareness and the right tools, spotting and avoiding these scams becomes much easier.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Alexander Castelo, 35, leaped into action after hearing a woman’s cries for help and spotting the boy in the lake at the Villas on The Green, according to WPLG.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
With all the flashbulbs, fashion, and starpower on the red carpet, you could be forgiven for not spotting Sean O’Kelly and Sami Arpa at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2025
Along the way, expect river views, a majestic fall color palette, and the occasional wildlife spotting.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Shoppers have already started spotting Pumpkin Caramel Kringles in the weekly ALDI Finds section for $7, compared to the $10 price tag at Trader Joe’s, making this indulgent treat even more tempting to grab on your next grocery run.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2025
Even after the sensors are gone, farmers who used them get better at spotting pests.
—Atin Adhikari, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Beckett descended with Finn on his shoulders, no easy feat, with father, Mark, spotting them a yard or so away.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotting
Noun
-
Together, these discoveries show that even our oldest drinks still hold new mysteries.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Historical records show that from the discovery of the Spätlese in 1775 onward, the practice at Schloss Johannisberg was to postpone the harvest.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
TikTok creators and influencers have been filming themselves pouring honey onto a spoon, or even on the back of their hand, and sprinkling it with salt — many opting for natural options of both — and taking a dose before heading to the gym.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Common methods to combat the odor included washing the shoes and drying them in the sun; using spray deodorant; or sprinkling the shoes with an antibacterial powder.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The dangers of not having a name After Hugh-Jones published his 1955 paper, researchers around the globe started noticing similar cases that didn't fit Type 1 or Type 2.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Anderson says, suddenly noticing the red light on my recorder.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Water soon started spraying out of the toilet and through the cracks around the door.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Drew Brees spraying 650-plus balls around on quick dropbacks.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Read about those findings in today's story.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
-
That was the finding Wednesday by experts at a Miami Herald panel moderated by climate reporters Alex Harris, Denise Hruby and Ashely Miznazi.—
Jane Wooldridge,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tweens and teens not angling for a spin around the ice skating rink can hit The Hawk’s Nest, a new club with arcade games, a light-up dance floor, and non-alcoholic beverages, while the adults pick between the many bars, restaurants, and fire pits dotting the village.—
Grace Bastidas,
Parents,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Bare patches dotting an otherwise green lawn can be frustrating.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Several workers have also described seeing a few 20-something, red haired men with a mischievous vibe.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The girl also reported seeing inappropriate images on the screensaver of an iPad at Berrelez’s home.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Early detection and treatment of sepsis is essential to preventing life-threatening complications that damage the kidney, heart, liver, brain and other organs, according to Long.—
Dr. Marc Siegel , Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Officials, including Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Genesee County law enforcement, provided guidance on threat detection, emergency response and security measures for places of worship.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotting. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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