as in fleck
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
the clouds threw dapples of shadow over the eerily quiet street
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to sprinkle
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
sunlight dappled the canopy of vines over our heads
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dapple
Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 17 Nov. 2022
Piglet is a Chihuahua-dachshund mix, with a genetic condition called double dapple that causes eyesight and hearing difficulties.
—Susan Dunne, courant.com, 29 Jan. 2022
Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
All have green leaves dappled with white, yellow, or pale green.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dapple
Noun
Gleaming spots caused by methane ice clouds in the planet's atmosphere dapple its lower half.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 17 Nov. 2022
Piglet is a Chihuahua-dachshund mix, with a genetic condition called double dapple that causes eyesight and hearing difficulties.
—Susan Dunne, courant.com, 29 Jan. 2022
Verb
Sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the grass, and the air was silent except for a chorus of chirping birds.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
All have green leaves dappled with white, yellow, or pale green.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dapple
Noun
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Tips and Tricks: During this event, the moon will begin to travel in front of the Pleiades stars around 11 P.M. Eastern Time, concealing several of the blueish flecks as the night goes on.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside Online,
13 Feb. 2025
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Once the snowmelt begins and flecks of greenery emerge from the powder, many skiers assume the party’s over.—
Miles Howard,
AFAR Media,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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If desired, sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt on top for an extra flavor kick.—
Matt Rozo,
The Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Inside, you’re greeted by a massive vintage armoire; several more candelabras are sprinkled throughout.—
Michael Cuby,
Them,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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What bothers me are the many dots farther away from the center that are harder to connect.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Modernist structures designed by architects with recognizable names like Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe dot the United States.—
Buffy Gorrilla,
NPR,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Basically, color bleeding is when the dye of clothes seeps into the water during a wash cycles and stains other clothes in the load.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
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Headless mannequins wearing the shirts of Marlon, William and Matheus Pereira — stained in red to resemble blood — were hung days after Cruzeiro’s penalty defeat to America MG in the Campeonato Mineiro semi-finals.—
Colin Millar,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Now the property has once again popped up for sale, asking a speck under $6 million.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
28 Feb. 2025
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Coincidentally, also visible in the new images is the planet Mercury, appearing as a tiny speck of light gliding closer to the sun.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This ham is spiraled and salty, with lots of yummy marbling around the sides.—
Carrie Honaker,
Southern Living,
11 Dec. 2024
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There’s a nice mix of experience and youth marbled through the lineup, with Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers leading the offence.—
Allan Mitchell,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Brighter yellow and golden blotches run along its forehead, sides and lower back.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2025
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The resulting arrangement made the cheese clumps stand out as dark blotches in the photographs taken with an iPhone mounted on a tripod.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Owens came back by peppering Zayn with several shots using a trash can lid.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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The tone was different than at many of the rallies peppering D.C.—
Anna Spiegel,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dapple. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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