as in blotch
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
canvases covered with streaks and mottles
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mottle
New Atlas, 23 Jan. 2026
As branching coral look-alikes, the cuttlefish splayed out their arms and displayed dark mottles to blend in with staghorn coral.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025
Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mottle
Noun
Turn the mottle of ideas in your head into coherent communicable paragraphs.
—New Atlas, 23 Jan. 2026
As branching coral look-alikes, the cuttlefish splayed out their arms and displayed dark mottles to blend in with staghorn coral.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
But Tariq’s body was already cold, and his skin was mottled.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mottle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottle
Noun
-
This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The eggs vary in color—from white to blue to brown—with speckles, blotches, and other markings and are also distinctive in shape.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Remove the bay leaves; sprinkle with parsley.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
Crumble it on corn, sprinkle it on a tostada, drop it into beans or dump it into filling for enchiladas — just don’t forget the cotija.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Its design, crafted by Russell Sage Studio, is meant to be an on-the-nose reflection of the distillery's famed product, with bronzy walls the color of its single malt, and a ceiling painted to look like barley, reflecting the morning dew with flecks of gold throughout.—
Alessandra Amodio,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Small outposts consisting of just a few trailer homes and surrounded by security fences dot most hilltops.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
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Traci Park won the Los Angeles City Council’s 11th District seat in 2022 on a promise to clean up the rising number of homeless encampments dotting the affluent Westside district.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Then, find a patch of sky roughly 40 degrees away from this location in the direction of your local zenith (which is the point above your head).—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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Injuries being such a major plotline has made this season feel like a bit of a slog, but there have been some fun patches to enjoy.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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On TikTok, short videos often show people traveling to Turkey to fix their uneven or stained teeth and transform their smiles.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Customize it by painting the wood a fun color or staining it for a rustic look.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
From the summit of Monte Gambarogno, the towns hugging the shore of Lake Maggiore appear as tiny specks, dwarfed by the snowcapped southern Alps to the north.—
Lisa Kadane,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
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The only public image of the attacker — or attackers — appears as a speck in a short, grainy clip of the explosion.—
Thad Moore,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The America First Legal advocacy organization, which peppered corporate America with discrimination complaints, has used that footage in complaints.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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With this opening, Bad Bakers has six locations peppered across the region, in Sacramento, Folsom, Roseville, Elk Grove and now West Sacramento.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottle. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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