dots 1 of 2

plural of dot
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

dots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dot
1
as in sprays
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on a hillside dotted with wildflowers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Noun
All over the island, the residential areas were clustered with dots, along forest edges and around people’s yards. Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 Meanwhile, the mouse’s sensor, a simple PixArt PAW3222, supports a maximum tracking resolution of 4,000 dots per inch (dpi), from a minimum of 400dpi. Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 27 June 2026 Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were able to connect the dots between the Watergate burglars. Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 26 June 2026 The butterflies can be found with dots on the wings, indicating how the species is being tracked by different conservation groups. Ray Campos, CBS News, 26 June 2026 Fans had already begun connecting the dots from 2024, when he was spotted at the Saturday Night Live after-party following her hosting debut and later appeared alongside her on a group trip to Tapei in photos shared by actor Ke Huy Quan. Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 26 June 2026 Others use numerals or one, two, and three dots. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 June 2026 Replacing the dots used on previous colorways, undulating lines run run 360 degrees across the sneaker in silver above a black mesh base, and the motif repeats again on the tongue. Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 25 June 2026 Public companies publish enormous amounts of operational and financial information every quarter and historically, somebody had to spend hours reviewing reports, synthesizing findings and trying to connect the dots. Yuri Gubin, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
Prepare to be dazzled from Warsaw’s highest viewing terrace atop Varso Tower, which proudly dots the skyline, before eating your way through the innovative food halls that define the coolest neighborhoods. Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026 Japanese linens top the bed, and designer furniture dots the living space. Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026 Barnett dots up Knight for a 57-yard catch-and-run. Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 28 Oct. 2025 Rather than the stiff alien chitchat that dots his own screenplays, the characters in The Favourite trade the witty, venomous bon mots of The Great creator Tony McNamara. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025 The $3,211 per month maintenance fees cover a part-time doorman and a fitness studio, while the location provides easy access to Madison Square Park plus all the shopping and dining that dots the area. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dots
Noun
  • Light streams through the frosted glass, catching flecks of dust.
    Ashley Andreou, STAT, 22 June 2026
  • But flecks of green were visible throughout the stadium as Algeria fans made their presence known as well.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • In the confusion, Paula is able to subdue Sky by nailing his hand to the ground and then sprays Ashley in the face with the dry shampoo before fleeing the scene.
    Erin Qualey, Vulture, 10 June 2026
  • Fulton is already taking precautions and sprays her 150 cattle with a fly-killing liquid.
    Dawn White, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • Use Cinnamon for Plants For outdoor plants, Guerrera sprinkles cinnamon on the soil to naturally kill fungus gnat larvae.
    Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 12 June 2026
  • In honor of the Niners’ 80th season, the video takes us on a house tour through the decades that sprinkles their opponents’ objects in each room.
    Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • One released a chaff cascade—hell’s own monsoon manifesting as specks of light, sound, and EM pulses falling through the hanging garden.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026
  • Kansas City isn't much of a pedestrian city, but now, blue and green specks of fans dot the sidewalks, like wildflowers poking through a crack in the pavement.
    Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Instead, each child interacts only with a sophisticated artificial intelligence, which peppers them with questions about everything from mathematics to philosophy.
    Niral Shah, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
  • Instead, the original body features a patina that peppers its exterior and is a point of celebration, preserved and maintained for true uniqueness.
    Peter Nelson, Robb Report, 3 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • From the moment that good Doctor Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) spots the French frigate Acheron while jaunting across the Galapagos to the start of the funeral for the fallen crew of the Surprise is 20 minutes exactly.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 June 2026
  • Robot spots faults ANYbotics’ quadruped robot ANYmal is demonstrating how autonomous inspection systems can improve industrial maintenance by combining mobility, sensing, and data analytics in challenging environments.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • Verticillium wilt causes similar blotches and yellowing.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2026
  • Pine snakes can grow up to 56 inches in length, have black, brown, and russet scales with dark blotches along their backs, and are noted for having a pointed nose, which experts believe may help with burrowing.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • When that protective finish gets damaged, the toilet actually stains easier and is harder to keep clean over time.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
  • What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dots. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on dots

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster