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
-
Most of the back is covered in a dotted texture imprinted directly into the plastic.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In fact, each has proven to be a false alarm, as slowdowns in momentum have consistently led to new buying opportunities (as indicated by the blue, dotted vertical lines).—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Extra charm could be sprinkled on you during your birthday month, extra intuitive wisdom is another gift.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The landscape is sprinkled with white houses and Malvasia vineyards, and appears to have drifted from its volcanic friends to find its own patch of tropical-grade water.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
During this time, monarchs cluster together in packed colonies for warmth—in a good year, thousands of monarchs might rest on a single tree, creating a kaleidoscope of brilliantly colored wings.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Remember, a hard freeze will still damage them, turning them mushy and off-colored.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Frank doesn’t mind having people killed for his agenda, but has avoided getting his hands stained with blood.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Cut the blanket into smaller pieces, avoiding areas that are worn, ripped, or stained, and turn them into pillow covers, tote bags, cushions, dog bedding, and more.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
21 Dec. 2025
-
The Illinois skies are mottled.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This double-crust, old-fashioned pie may look ordinary on the outside, but when it's sliced, the inside reveals vibrant orange layers of sweet potatoes flecked with spices and sweetened with sugar and sorghum syrup.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Halcyon, a mauve tone with turquoise shimmer, and Nymphaea, a magenta flecked with pink and lilac glitter.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
6 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Inside, a long, gray bar — speckled like the surface of the moon — sits near a hi-fi stereo system.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Nov. 2025
-
Westslope cuttys are green in color, have a bright slash of orange around their lower jaw, and are speckled with non-concentric spots.—
Will Rice,
Outside,
13 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stippled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stippled. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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