as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
the sunlight falling through the lace curtain stippled her face
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Recent Examples of stippling
Two pumps on the back of my hand did the trick, stippling it across my red-speckled cheeks and around my nose.
—
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
The yellowing, eventually turning to brown, starts with stippling or tiny dots on the foliage where mites have pierced the leaves’ epidermis with their stylets or sucking mouthparts.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Spider mites cause yellowing or stippling on the leaves.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
The yellowing, eventually turning to brown, starts with stippling or tiny dots on the foliage where mites have pierced the leaves’ epidermis with their stylets or sucking mouthparts.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Spider mites cause yellowing or stippling on the leaves.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stippling
Verb
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And Crawford has been sprinkling in a secret catchphrase no one has caught on to yet.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
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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
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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
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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
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Boards with deep knife grooves, cracks, or staining should be replaced because damaged areas can continue to trap bacteria even after cleaning.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
17 May 2026
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Worse yet, the black olive tree caterpillar also feeds on these galls caused by the mites, accelerating staining through its droppings.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Any colors that can catch your eye from a plate (and make your mouth water) are guaranteed to make an impact in 2026; edible flowers are the key to organically dyeing drinks and desserts with different hues.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
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One day later, Smith shared a video of Cline dyeing Easter eggs while his mom sang and danced.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Stippling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stippling. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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