Synonyms of spotting

spotting 1 of 2

noun

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

• discovery
• finding
• detection
• exploration
• awareness
• unearthing
• disclosure
• revelation
• invention
• exposure
• creation
• notice
• uncovering
• espial
• unveiling
• rediscovery

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loss
• disappearance
• hiding
• concealment

spotting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of spot

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

• sprinkling
• dotting
• staining
• peppering
• dyeing
• flecking
• blotching
• dappling
• mottling
• shooting
• stippling
• speckling
• specking
• splotching
• freckling
• striping
• marbling
• streaking
• blotting
• interspersing
• barring
• banding
• spattering
• studding
• setting
• bespattering

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

• noticing
• seeing
• eyeing
• regarding
• viewing
• sighting
• observing
• watching
• remarking
• catching
• spying
• noting
• looking (at)
• distinguishing
• witnessing
• perceiving
• discerning
• beholding
• identifying
• espying
• descrying
• scanning
• getting a load of
• considering
• marking
• setting eyes on
• laying eyes on
• studying
• surveying
• inspecting
• examining
• picking out
• scrutinizing
• attending (to)
• heeding
• making out
• glimpsing
• glancing (at)
• peering (at)
• picking up
• minding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignoring
• disregarding
• neglecting
• missing
• passing over
• overlooking
• overpassing

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

• spraying
• sprinkling
• dotting
• peppering
• scattering
• strewing
• dusting
• sowing
• bestrewing
• drizzling
• dappling
• speckling
• flecking
• studding
• blanketing
• stippling
• spattering
• bespattering

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spotting

Noun

Student trustee and West Campus High senior Owen Naqica spoke to the distress that Tuesday’s ICE spotting near a school caused his fellow students. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Take out the property’s resident boat Bella from the Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club for a view of the Port Royal mega-mansions and a chance at dolphin spotting. — Harriet Elton, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026

The hoofed Highlanders have been embraced as an unofficial mascot on campus, with Reddit threads dedicated to donkey spotting and burro plushies for sale in the campus store. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Wilted or leathery leaves are signs of low humidity, while yellow spots on the leaves indicate fungal spotting from too much humidity. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2026

Camping, hiking, wildlife spotting, fishing, birding, and kayaking. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

This time, however, the spotting has occurred at the same time that China’s new Type 076 amphibious assault ship entered its final sea trials. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026

Kesha’s raccoon spotting comes shortly after a wild raccoon with a spine deformity, nicknamed Jimothy, recently went viral after a Seattle resident’s video gained over 5 million views online. — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026

Set along the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the city features a walkable historic downtown, scenic Harborwalk, quaint cafés and restaurants, and easy access to kayaking, boating, fishing, and wildlife spotting. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026

Verb

The brightest planets are 100,000 times fainter than their host stars, meaning spotting them is like observing a firefly hovering around a lighthouse. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Peeking around tall patches of grass and peering through binoculars at Lake Michigan, Tarik Shahzad, a birder from the Norwood Park neighborhood, called Thursday’s cold, wet conditions ideal for spotting birds late in the year. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026

The team found that the ARC score matched or outperformed standard risk measures, including amyloid and tau biomarkers as well as genetic testing, in spotting early decline. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Advertisement The news lands as existing ways for spotting AI misbehavior have begun to break down. — Harry Booth, Time, 5 Nov. 2026

In a new Nature study, astronomers built clever software for the James Webb Space Telescope that makes this task less challenging, giving the observatory a better chance of spotting planets closer to their stars. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026

Matt Araiza punted and during the commercial break, Reid gave the officials an earful for re-spotting the ball so late, CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson reported. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

The half-mile Scrub Jay Loop is a prime place for spotting the state’s only endemic bird, which is threatened by habitat loss. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026

Styles has been spotting walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan on show days, popping into coffee shops, and chatting with fans on the street. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026