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
Rain chances will hold off until the afternoon with some light spotty showers at first before becoming more scattered as the evening marches on.
—
Mary Wasson, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Feb. 2026
But for others, Cole will shine as a distinct and fully formed character in a spotty but worthwhile opus.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2026
There are no taxis in Cooperstown and ridesharing availability is spotty, at best.
—Linnea Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026
Rocky, meanwhile, wore a black double-breasted coat with a tie-waist, a spotty gray-blue shirt and coordinating patterned tie, navy slacks, square toe black loafers, a large Bottega Veneta tote, and Ray-Bans.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Mary Wasson, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Feb. 2026
But for others, Cole will shine as a distinct and fully formed character in a spotty but worthwhile opus.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2026
There are no taxis in Cooperstown and ridesharing availability is spotty, at best.
—Linnea Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026
Rocky, meanwhile, wore a black double-breasted coat with a tie-waist, a spotty gray-blue shirt and coordinating patterned tie, navy slacks, square toe black loafers, a large Bottega Veneta tote, and Ray-Bans.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotty
Adjective
-
Siffre took a sporadic approach to releasing music over the years, dropping six albums in a five-year span during the ’70s, including his standout LP Crying Laughing Loving Lying, before retiring.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
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With Yemen challenged by the social and economic effects of a sporadic but ongoing civil war between Houthi rebels and the central government, conditions have proven difficult for Almatrahi and his family members to visit their homeland.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As each participant started getting comfortable with the machine sewing a maze on paper, going around dotted lines, both mother and daughter got into the flow.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
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Pink is then used for the leather mustache and an insole with a dotted spiral pattern.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
How the Study Worked In the study, 72 inactive adults with panic disorder who weren’t taking medications as treatment completed a 12-week program of brief intermittent intense exercise or relaxation training.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Due to its durability and rapid response time, the team expects the technology to be used to stabilize power grids and manage the intermittent output of renewable energy sources.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile her partner, Broderick went the traditional route with a black suit, white button-up shirt, and a light-colored tie.—
Elle Meier,
InStyle,
16 Feb. 2026
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The luxury hotel chain creative director, 47, wore a dark-colored peacoat, grey sweater and slacks.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Senior royals, usually greeted by cheering crowds, have in recent years faced occasional heckles from members of the public relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
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Yes, Florida comes with the occasional hurricane, but the tradeoff is daily sunshine, endless outdoor activities, cultural experiences, and the chance to wake up somewhere that feels like a permanent vacation.—
Carrie Honaker,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His performances were erratic and the number of costly errors kept mounting.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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However, in recent years, temperature and weather patterns have been erratic, and winters have become shorter and warmer.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotty. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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