1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
only spotty business failures marred the economic boom
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dotted
marked with spots
Dalmatians are spotty dogs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spotty
The episode also revived attacks on the show’s spotty vetting after reports that Strader had been arrested in 2017 on suspicion of burglarizing the house of an ex-girlfriend.
—
Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Ivišić’s play was a welcome development after his production was spotty in the last three games of the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Her payments were spotty, the lawyer said, but overall, the case had been open-and-shut.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
Sending down Pérez would mean keeping Meadows’ defense on the field but also rolling the dice on his spotty offensive track record.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Ivišić’s play was a welcome development after his production was spotty in the last three games of the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Her payments were spotty, the lawyer said, but overall, the case had been open-and-shut.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
Sending down Pérez would mean keeping Meadows’ defense on the field but also rolling the dice on his spotty offensive track record.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotty
Adjective
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The data points to a genuine enhancement in the sporadic fireball background at the large-object end of the size distribution.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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The two sides have engaged in sporadic retaliatory aerial attacks in recent years, though the fighting between them had largely simmered down in recent months.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Another six dead roaches dotted kitchen area light shields.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
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Moss wore a black, semi-sheer polka-dot blouse featuring delicate, dotted-mesh fabric that revealed a glimpse of skin underneath.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Understood as intermittent organisms rather than monumental events, biennials can expand and contract.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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His mission — to halt his body’s natural response to time and gravity — includes numerous hours in the gym, intermittent fasting, red light therapy and swallowing over 100 supplements each day.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Relieved of their blindfolds, the men now wore heavy rucksacks filled with colored rocks representing their anger (red), guilt and shame (black), and sadness (blue).—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The woman saw a dark-colored sedan pull away from the scene.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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At a moment when our attention is fractured across phones, feeds, and tabs, the gap between occasional readers and obsessive ones has never felt wider.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
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Wild temperature swings and occasional chances of rain remain in the forecast through the rest of the week.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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While Boston shot 5-for-20 in the period, Atlanta went 13-for-19, including the second made three of the night from the typically erratic Dyson Daniels.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Two weeks later, the erratic nature of the Wild’s play and the outcomes haven’t changed.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotty. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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