as in dotted
marked with spots
create a stippled effect by dabbing a contrasting color of paint over an undercoat with a rag or sponge
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sprinkled
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
the sunlight falling through the lace curtain stippled her face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stippled
The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2025
The page squinted up at the nightingale, her dull feathers and stippled breast.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Watch for yellow, stippled leaves, especially on flowering or fruiting plants.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Over a 10-month period, our editors—all with vastly different preferences for coverage, finish, and format—buffed and blended (and swept and stippled) their way through about 650 submissions.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Grating anything is usually a knuckle-threatening chore—but this stippled ceramic dish from Japan makes it into its own soothing ritual, turning a brown stem into liquidish gold with a few easy rubs.
—The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2025
The page squinted up at the nightingale, her dull feathers and stippled breast.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Watch for yellow, stippled leaves, especially on flowering or fruiting plants.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Over a 10-month period, our editors—all with vastly different preferences for coverage, finish, and format—buffed and blended (and swept and stippled) their way through about 650 submissions.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Inside the passage, the lips of water beyond my torchlight are coal black, stippled with freckles of sediment.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stippled
Adjective
-
Older homes made of wood, which are more prone to igniting, are dotted throughout.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Another six dead roaches dotted kitchen area light shields.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The look can be as minimalist as gems sprinkled on the tips of neutral nails or as bold as clusters of various stone sizes in intricate formations.—
Jesa Marie Calaor,
Allure,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The grounds are sprinkled with lush gardens, orchards, lakes, and water features.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Last week, before the court recessed for Easter, John briefly took the stand, legs and hands shackled and dressed in a khaki-colored prison uniform.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The outfit was supposed to have matching pants, but it was reported by Sports Illustrated that Day was told by Augusta National to wear normal, solid-colored pants instead.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These areas are most productive on sunny days or when the water’s stained.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
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Infantino’s time in power has been praised — often by FIFA itself — as a reformist presidency following the scandals and FBI investigations that stained the organization.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The air rang with random alarms; the soft surfaces were mottled with mystery stains.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But Tariq’s body was already cold, and his skin was mottled.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The biscuits, flecked with frilly sprigs of dill, are pulled together with sour cream, giving them tenderness and a mild tang.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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Locked in a safe on her desk at Boston University’s Institute for Astrophysical Research is a shard of meteorite flecked with material older than the sun.—
James Dinneen,
Quanta Magazine,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Shower liners can get speckled with hard water or even turn yellow over time, and those details can’t be ignored for long.—
Lori Keong,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
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Camouflaged in a valley speckled with just a handful of villas and farmsteads, the 16 stone houses overlook the naked dunes and sensational sunsets of Livadia Bay.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stippled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stippled. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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