1
as in eclectic
consisting of many things of different sorts
a ship with a motley crew of old salts, young adventurers, and shifty characters of all ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in colorful
marked by a variety of usually vivid colors
a tropical bird with motley plumage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in assortment
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a motley of old junk stored in the attic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motley
Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Her arguable masterpiece follows the vain Leonora Eyre over and around a fraught love quadrangle with a widowed antiques dealer, his nephew, and some other motley souls.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety.
—Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for motley
Adjective
Murphy ticked off a list of Brewers players who had been discarded and disrespected, like Vaughn, only to find a home with his motley Brew Crew.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Her arguable masterpiece follows the vain Leonora Eyre over and around a fraught love quadrangle with a widowed antiques dealer, his nephew, and some other motley souls.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
With a total team of 25 today, Schaper is trying to juggle a motley of distribution channels, each with their own unique needs and processes.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety.
—Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for motley
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motley
Adjective
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Instead, a variety of eclectic influences are crammed into 484 on its first level, and another 484 on the terrace level.—
Valentina Raggi,
Architectural Digest,
20 Sep. 2025
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The charming neighborhood is also known for Portobello Road, a street and market with a variety of quirky, eclectic shops.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This energy is released as light, producing the colorful displays seen in the night sky.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Grand Slam winners get a colorful Grand Slam Award sticker.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That monster is Gregers Werle (Alexander Hurt), who returns to his home town only to find that his childhood friend Hjalmar Ekdal (a superbly comic Nick Westrate) has been living in a fool’s paradise.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
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An affable dad who avoids divisive topics like politics and religion in favor of gentler, autobiographical material that tends to cast him as a well-meaning fool, the Tennessee native is also the rare comic capable of appealing to, or at least not actively alienating, a broad swathe of viewers.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With the law books filled with a great assortment of crimes, a prosecutor stands a fair chance of finding at least a technical violation of some act on the part of almost anyone.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
-
For some members, including Patrick Bannon, club retailers’ eye-catching assortment can be a danger to the wallet.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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By studying how Penicillium adapts in cheese caves, scientists can gain insights into how Aspergillus adapts inside the lung environment, potentially finding new ways to treat these varied health conditions.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Sep. 2025
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Rebecca Lowe, who anchors the Premier League Mornings desk show at halftime and between match kickoff windows, emphasized the event’s ability to pull people behind a singular interest — Premier League soccer — even if the fans’ team allegiances varied.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Another suggestion is a condition called chromhidrosis, which causes the secretion of colored sweat.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Spread the colored clay over the corresponding numbers to create your picture.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the tax benefit will also extend to gambling dealers, clowns, DJs, entertainers, content creators, maids, electricians, plumbers, babysitters, drivers and more.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
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Thank you to Netflix for giving me the opportunity to whoop this clown!—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
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Baker also leads the orchestra, which sounds grand — although the sound in the arts center’s Pugh Theater often left musicians, lead singers and chorus all at the same level, with actors speaking over all of it at the same time to create a sonic jumble.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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