as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
the sunlight falling through the lace curtain stippled her face
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stippling
Two pumps on the back of my hand did the trick, stippling it across my red-speckled cheeks and around my nose.
—
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
The yellowing, eventually turning to brown, starts with stippling or tiny dots on the foliage where mites have pierced the leaves’ epidermis with their stylets or sucking mouthparts.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Spider mites cause yellowing or stippling on the leaves.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
The yellowing, eventually turning to brown, starts with stippling or tiny dots on the foliage where mites have pierced the leaves’ epidermis with their stylets or sucking mouthparts.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Spider mites cause yellowing or stippling on the leaves.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stippling
Verb
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Cameras caught a clergy member sprinkling a little holy water on the Acrisure Stadium turf about two hours before kickoff on Sunday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
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In the second season of Andor, Tony Gilroy continued his indictment of rising fascism, sprinkling the sci-fi tropes with grandstanding political drama, the impending doom of an action thriller, and a helping of French-resistance imagery, then tossing it all in a blender.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Burn scars dotting our state from Paradise to Pacific Palisades show clearly his failure to prioritize fire prevention.—
Brian Jones,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
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The city is in a valley, so nearly every building has a view—on this January morning, of fires dotting the hills and little, loud aircraft flying in all directions, like a mosquito swarm on a hot night.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Holevich adds that cleaning these surfaces promptly will help prevent long-term staining and lingering odors.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
7 Jan. 2026
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Foods like tomato sauce and chocolate can cause staining if they aren't wiped up right away.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another student describes making algae yarn over winter break, boiling and dyeing it in her kitchen.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Dec. 2025
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So, we’re used to thinking about dyeing our hair—and focusing on our roots—as a corrective, routine treatment to cover gray hair.—
Irene Coltrinari,
Vogue,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Oxford Forest Conservation Area Another popular South Island star-spotting area is the Oxford Forest Conservation Area, which was designated as a Dark Sky Park in 2024.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
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In Ocho Rios, the vast fringing reef shelf has drop-offs on the northern side perfect for spotting diverse soft and hard corals like staghorn, sea fan and brain coral.—
Adrienne Jordan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stippling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stippling. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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