as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
the sunlight falling through the lace curtain stippled her face
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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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To add chia seeds to your diet, try sprinkling them over your oatmeal or yogurt parfait.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
2 Apr. 2026
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Neutralize Trash Can Odors Cut odors from the kitchen trash by periodically sprinkling baking soda in as waste accumulates.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To recreate at home, use varying sizes of dotting tools, making sure to let each layer dry before applying the next.—
Georgia Day,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
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Come winter, beach towns like this one dotting the Atlantic Coast stretch of Florida surrounding Fort Lauderdale have long brimmed with French Canadian tourists and other snowbirds who arrive for warmth and sunshine.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Studies have found that embarrassment around menstruation remains common, with many girls reporting anxiety about leaks, staining or being noticed by peers.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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So, Navon and her husband undertook a full restoration, sanding and staining them a honey-oak hue that warms up the home from the ground up.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For many fans — including plenty in the audience with neon green or pink hair — dyeing your own hair at home is part of self-discovery.—
Deborah Sengupta Stith,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
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As members of the plumbers' union, Local 130, plowed through the Chicago River, dyeing it a glowing green, thousands lined Wacker Drive and the bridges to catch a glimpse of how the process is done.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An allergist shared tips on spotting the difference and reducing exposure during peak pollen weeks.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
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These color changes can help scientists understand the composition of minerals on the surface, according to NASA, because while there is plenty of satellite imagery of the moon, the human eye is better at spotting the changes of color.—
Brendan Byrne,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stippling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stippling. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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