as in flecks
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
there was just a dot on the tablecloth where the food had spattered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
2
as in sprinkles
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
the practice of some chefs of positioning a small portion of food in the center and dotting the rest of the plate with sauce
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dots
ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Connecting The Dots B2B marketers have to be brilliant at connecting the dots.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
This is a cross-functional approach, which blends clinical informatics, data/analytics, software development/automation and AI engineering skills to connect more dots and fill in the gaps.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Typing dots appear, then disappear.
—Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
To try to connect a few dots here, could this mean that Billie was involved with—and perhaps murdered by—the Dark Hearts and that's why Deric has previously come in contact with Robbie?
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
More cities may join the archipelago of blue dots with no real power in Congress.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025
To anyone else driving Highway 45 beside the rural Yolo County property, the distant birds may have looked like dots against the water, akin to the sight of cattle grazing miles into an open pasture.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Eventually, a federal agent learned of the link and helped police connect the dots, authorities said.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
While players watch dots appear and reach for the A button, the mod races to get a response from the AI model and translate it into the game's dialog format.
—ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Connecting The Dots B2B marketers have to be brilliant at connecting the dots.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
This is a cross-functional approach, which blends clinical informatics, data/analytics, software development/automation and AI engineering skills to connect more dots and fill in the gaps.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Typing dots appear, then disappear.
—Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
To try to connect a few dots here, could this mean that Billie was involved with—and perhaps murdered by—the Dark Hearts and that's why Deric has previously come in contact with Robbie?
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
More cities may join the archipelago of blue dots with no real power in Congress.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025
To anyone else driving Highway 45 beside the rural Yolo County property, the distant birds may have looked like dots against the water, akin to the sight of cattle grazing miles into an open pasture.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Eventually, a federal agent learned of the link and helped police connect the dots, authorities said.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dots
Noun
-
This uncanny coincidence — that the Earth’s radiation lines up with the energies of carbon dioxide’s mixed vibrational/rotational quantum state — is how this tiny trace of molecules, mere flecks in the air, completely dominates our climate.—
Joseph Howlett,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Its black and white or brown flecks convey a fresh, modern feel that's ideal for breaking away from the tyranny of basics.—
María Munsuri,
Glamour,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This is when water from a sprinkler head sprays out onto the sidewalk or street, and that's considered wasted water.—
Yvette Fernandez,
NPR,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Like Machado, Tatis sprays the ball to all fields, even on the ground, another reason he can be depended upon to hit for a solid batting average, even while playing his home games in a pitchers’ park.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
After a few days’ travel, some of the specks landed on a buoy floating in the North Atlantic off the coast of French Guyana.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Now for other people whose crepe myrtles look like yours, black bark and white specks are classic signs of crepe myrtle scales.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
If one employee spots profanity or offensive language in an application, then it is sent to another employee, and possibly moved up the chain.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
-
When a chameleon spots a bug, tiny muscles adjust the lens until the target is perfectly in focus, and that adjustment tells them exactly how far away dinner is.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Gopher snakes tend to be tan-colored with large square brown blotches or saddles along their backs and smaller gray spots on their sides.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Solomon peppers his story with generational resentments and art-world posturing, while Soderbergh films the interiors of McKellen’s English townhouse like the inner workings of a sarcophagus.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Frequent nicks, ingrown hairs, dry patches, and razor burn can result when relying on shaving as your primary hair removal method — but with the proper tools and techniques, these unpleasant side effects can be avoided.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
-
When To Avoid Sanding If bare spots or brown patches begin to appear, there could actually be another issue with the lawn or parts of it.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dots. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share