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
Relevance
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
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
For a classic Los Angeles moment, The Beverly Hills Hotel is nearby as well—an iconic spot for a drink or a bit of celebrity spotting.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
The downward-facing large flowers are variable, ranging from white and pink to purple, frequently with interior spotting.
—Judy Nauseef, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026
These mostly black-tie events are a chance to dress to the nines while toasting a good cause; excellent people-watching, and even better dress-spotting.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 4 May 2026
Here are the 10 NYC restaurants Deuxmoi flagged as the best for celebrity spotting.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 May 2026
The find is extremely rare, with the last similar spotting occurring in 1950.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Diseases to look out for in dragon fruit include stem canker, stem soft rot, Bipolaris cactivora (which causes rapid black-brown spotting on fruit and stems), and Anthracnose (which causes reddish-brown, sunken-in spots on stems and fruit).
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
This is bear and moose territory, so adhere to park instructions for safe spotting.
—Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 20 May 2026
Since the 1960s, this trove of demographic data has been instrumental in spotting patterns of discrimination and supporting civil rights investigations in the workplace.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Yellowstone Adventure Tours hires wildlife biologists to lead small-group wildlife-spotting expeditions.
—Matt Bell, AFAR Media, 19 May 2026
People already express little confidence in spotting AI versus human content.
—Will Johnson, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Use a microfiber cloth to wipe away the water to prevent spotting and allow the furniture to air dry.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
Doctors had been monitoring the aneurysm through regular scans after spotting it during treatment for the first hemorrhage.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
As fans get more sophisticated about visual effects, and AI clips proliferate online, spotting VFX errors have become a bit of a online pastime (and, sometimes, a fake VFX shot turns out to be real after all).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Buoyed by the technology boom, major indices like the Nasdaq Composite , the Russell 2000 and the S & P 500 have all risen sharply over the past month, but analysts are spotting fragility underneath the top lines.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 13 May 2026
Noun
Visitors explore natural landmarks like Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch and take part in outdoor activities including hiking, wildlife spotting, seal swimming and diving.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
For a classic Los Angeles moment, The Beverly Hills Hotel is nearby as well—an iconic spot for a drink or a bit of celebrity spotting.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
The downward-facing large flowers are variable, ranging from white and pink to purple, frequently with interior spotting.
—Judy Nauseef, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026
These mostly black-tie events are a chance to dress to the nines while toasting a good cause; excellent people-watching, and even better dress-spotting.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 4 May 2026
Here are the 10 NYC restaurants Deuxmoi flagged as the best for celebrity spotting.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 May 2026
The find is extremely rare, with the last similar spotting occurring in 1950.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Diseases to look out for in dragon fruit include stem canker, stem soft rot, Bipolaris cactivora (which causes rapid black-brown spotting on fruit and stems), and Anthracnose (which causes reddish-brown, sunken-in spots on stems and fruit).
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
This is bear and moose territory, so adhere to park instructions for safe spotting.
—Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
Since the 1960s, this trove of demographic data has been instrumental in spotting patterns of discrimination and supporting civil rights investigations in the workplace.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Yellowstone Adventure Tours hires wildlife biologists to lead small-group wildlife-spotting expeditions.
—Matt Bell, AFAR Media, 19 May 2026
People already express little confidence in spotting AI versus human content.
—Will Johnson, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Use a microfiber cloth to wipe away the water to prevent spotting and allow the furniture to air dry.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
Doctors had been monitoring the aneurysm through regular scans after spotting it during treatment for the first hemorrhage.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
As fans get more sophisticated about visual effects, and AI clips proliferate online, spotting VFX errors have become a bit of a online pastime (and, sometimes, a fake VFX shot turns out to be real after all).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Buoyed by the technology boom, major indices like the Nasdaq Composite , the Russell 2000 and the S & P 500 have all risen sharply over the past month, but analysts are spotting fragility underneath the top lines.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotting
Noun
-
In text messages between Musk and his employees, including OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis and a project director Sam Teller, Musk's team cheered the hire, according to correspondence made public in discovery.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
Last year, Turkish officials announced the discovery of a 5,000-year-old bread loaf, baked during Turkey's Bronze Age.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
And Crawford has been sprinkling in a secret catchphrase no one has caught on to yet.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
-
For this reason, Carpenter recommends using bait stations that contain borax, rather than sprinkling borax directly into the garden.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
In practice, this means noticing the moment that your brain begins replaying an embarrassing scene and deliberately refusing to elaborate on it further.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
-
How the Slurpee became an American staple The Slurpee traces its roots back to the 1960s, when businessman Omar Knedlik developed a machine that partially froze soft drinks after noticing customers enjoyed semi-frozen sodas at his Dairy Queen franchise in Kansas.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
In an update on Friday night, Covey said emergency crews have been able to maintain the temperature of the tank by continuously spraying it with water.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
-
The district also may conduct targeted ground spraying to reduce adult mosquito populations.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The finding helps explain how the brains of people with typical hearing are able to solve the cocktail party problem by selecting one voice to amplify while filtering out others.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
14 May 2026
-
An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.—
Steve Metsch,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The 164-acre Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park has vibrant gardens, almost five miles of walking trails, and a lovely pond, with both permanent and rotating art installations dotting the expansive property.—
Kristy Tolley,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
-
Create a Hummingbird Buffet Rather than dotting single specimens around your garden, plant a hummingbird highway.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Andy Mitten recently re-completed ‘the 92’ — that is seeing a game at all the current football grounds in England’s top four tiers.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Trump had expressed optimism to the Washington Examiner about seeing the bill on his desk this week.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The Infleqtion team argues that this could allow earlier detection of threats, better performance in jammed environments, and improved identification of hidden or spoofed signals.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
-
Congo outbreak killed 50 before it was detected Kaseya said slow detection delayed the response and gave the virus time to spread.—
Chinedu Asadu,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotting. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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