as in discovery
the act or process of sighting or learning the existence of something for the first time
the spotting of a new bird is always a thrill for an avid bird-watcher
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
to give the effect of sunlight on water, the artist spotted the lake in his painting with flecks of gold paint
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I spotted both of them as they tried to sneak out the back door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spraying
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
the TV networks had spotted reporters all over the state for the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of spotting
Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Head out onto the 1,500-foot pier for some fishing or wildlife spotting, or walk across the street to Pier Park for lunch or a little shopping to get out of the sun.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Avoid getting water on African violet leaves, which can cause leaf spotting and encourage mildew.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
Dry Your Shower and Close the Curtain Get rid of waterdrops on shower walls and doors to prevent mildew growth and water-spotting in about 30 seconds with a squeegee.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
This spotting confirms to conservationists that the elusive species is breeding successfully in southern Thailand.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
From caves and lakeside swims to wildlife spotting and more, this spot where Missouri meets Arkansas is the perfect place to spend your next break with kids.
—Kaity Velez, Parents, 23 Dec. 2025
This year's Orionids shower is due to peak when there is a new moon, providing darker skies and ideal conditions for meteor spotting.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Farther east, Amsterdamse Bos is a forest three times larger than Central Park, with lots of trails and wildlife spotting—and even a ropes-and-zip line course.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 1 Oct. 2025
Caitlin Beale, Health, 11 Feb. 2026
After spotting a mail truck and carrier, McBee jumped out of the Toyota and demanded the carrier’s keys.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Snorkelers and divers are often lucky enough to share a swim with a turtle or two, but for the best chance of spotting these gentle giants, head to Maho Bay Beach.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
Use a clean, dry cloth to dry the oven glass to prevent streaks and spotting.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 6 Feb. 2026
The star spotting continued Sunday at the Alamodome, where the biggest names in basketball and their famous fans held court at the 1996 NBA All-Star Game.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
This – along with memorizing their individual preferences and an eye for spotting the next big thing in fashion – has cemented her name in a highly competitive industry.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Neighbors, spotting the truck, visited Wells to change his mind.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Now, Prince George joins them in shark spotting during private holidays in Mustique.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Noun
The first spotting of golden mussels was in October 2024.
—Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Head out onto the 1,500-foot pier for some fishing or wildlife spotting, or walk across the street to Pier Park for lunch or a little shopping to get out of the sun.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Avoid getting water on African violet leaves, which can cause leaf spotting and encourage mildew.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
Dry Your Shower and Close the Curtain Get rid of waterdrops on shower walls and doors to prevent mildew growth and water-spotting in about 30 seconds with a squeegee.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
This spotting confirms to conservationists that the elusive species is breeding successfully in southern Thailand.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
From caves and lakeside swims to wildlife spotting and more, this spot where Missouri meets Arkansas is the perfect place to spend your next break with kids.
—Kaity Velez, Parents, 23 Dec. 2025
This year's Orionids shower is due to peak when there is a new moon, providing darker skies and ideal conditions for meteor spotting.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Farther east, Amsterdamse Bos is a forest three times larger than Central Park, with lots of trails and wildlife spotting—and even a ropes-and-zip line course.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
Garlic is a kitchen staple for many, but spotting a green sprout poking out of a clove can raise questions about food safety.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 11 Feb. 2026
After spotting a mail truck and carrier, McBee jumped out of the Toyota and demanded the carrier’s keys.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Snorkelers and divers are often lucky enough to share a swim with a turtle or two, but for the best chance of spotting these gentle giants, head to Maho Bay Beach.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
Use a clean, dry cloth to dry the oven glass to prevent streaks and spotting.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 6 Feb. 2026
The star spotting continued Sunday at the Alamodome, where the biggest names in basketball and their famous fans held court at the 1996 NBA All-Star Game.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
This – along with memorizing their individual preferences and an eye for spotting the next big thing in fashion – has cemented her name in a highly competitive industry.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Neighbors, spotting the truck, visited Wells to change his mind.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Now, Prince George joins them in shark spotting during private holidays in Mustique.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotting
Noun
-
New discoveries always spur unconventional hypotheses; all must be ruled out.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Remains found amid search in Mexico MEXICO CITY -- Mexican authorities on Friday announced the discovery of bodies and remains in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in an area of an ongoing search for 10 missing workers from a Canadian gold and silver mine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Then, to complete the deep clean, Lane suggests, sprinkling baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and running a second hot cycle with no detergent.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Player props have become such a big and fun part of betting on the big game, so here are 11 that are worth sprinkling a few bucks on.—
KC Joyner,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The difference between counting down the minutes and barely noticing the time often comes down to what’s in your carry-on.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Driving west on Lake Street in Minneapolis, Emily Phillips abruptly stopped talking mid-sentence, noticing a pickup truck with heavily tinted windows.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The scale of the war effort had necessitated the creation of a health infrastructure on American soil—spraying for mosquitoes near the front lines in the Pacific wouldn’t mean anything if soldiers caught malaria at home before deployment.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Written and directed by Swift, the clip sees the singer fall in love with a fellow loner (Domhnall Gleeson) after spraying herself with a love potion fittingly called Opalite.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Because diets were measured about eight years after diagnosis, the results may mostly reflect people who survived long enough to be included, which could skew the findings.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sundance could anoint hits, dotting the industry’s creative landscape with unlikely blockbusters.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
With vacant storefronts dotting some of the city's most popular corridors, Miami Beach is rolling out a bold new strategy to revive its famed commercial districts.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Later on Monday, Croft recalled seeing a large tent standing in the middle of the roadway while numerous law enforcement officers investigated the scene.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The second citation refers to Christ’s reaction to seeing the tomb of Lazarus.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Early detection can save your life too.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Supporters of the immigration crackdown say the volunteer army of ICE-tracking activists in Minneapolis has forced federal agents to adopt new methods of avoiding detection.—
Jake Offenhartz,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotting. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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