mottle 1 of 2

noun

ˈmä-tᵊl How to pronounce mottle (audio)
Definition of mottlenext
as in blotch
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part canvases covered with streaks and mottles

Synonyms & Similar Words

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mottle

2 of 2

verb

as in to sprinkle
to mark with small spots especially unevenly old papers that were mottled by mold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mottle
Noun
As branching coral look-alikes, the cuttlefish splayed out their arms and displayed dark mottles to blend in with staghorn coral. — Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025 Remember to continue your daily sunscreen use to stave off more mottle. — Katie Becker, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 Oct. 2015
Verb
The gas stations had the dingy look of gas stations everywhere, mottled with the stains of oil and exhaust. — Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024 The affected areas may appear white, pale, yellow, or mottled blue, depending on your skin tone. — Lindsay Curtis, Health, 1 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for mottle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mottle
  1. blotch
  2. sprinkle
  3. fleck
  4. dot
  5. patch
  6. stain
  7. speck
  8. pepper
Noun
  • Doctors could see white blotches and smears around those dark spaces, indicating lesions.
    — Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Overall, the geckos have pale brown bodies with several darker brown bands and lighter white blotches.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of blotch
Verb
  • Lightly brush tops of dough wedges with more heavy cream; sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025
  • For some, the lockdown was sprinkled with physical terror as questions arose about where to place Ebola victims.
    — Edna Bonhomme, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of sprinkle
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of fleck
Verb
  • There are some 2,000 elk on the property and several lodges dotting the grounds, as well as two heated helicopter pads for year-round use.
    — Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest, 13 Mar. 2025
  • More than 80% of the 117 Seven Mile Drive properties dot the perimeter of the Dye’s Valley Course, brainchild of designers Pete Dye, Bobby Weed and 1982 Players champion Jerry Pate.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of dot
Noun
  • However, nasturtiums don’t mind growing in the light shade cast by asparagus plants and asparagus beetles are less likely to visit a patch of asparagus if nasturtiums are growing nearby.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Grant ended up meeting a group of Dina’s friends at a pumpkin patch in Chicago.
    — Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of patch
Verb
  • Although no-makeup may seem ideal in a Parisian train station, which was the inspiration behind the look, poetic taupes shape tired eyes and lips stained with last night’s lipstick speak to weary, bouffant-haired travellers instead.
    — India Espy-Jones, Essence, 13 Mar. 2025
  • There are showstoppers, like the Zaveri house (also known as the House with 365 Windows) which is now stained black with grit, its grand pilasters and geometric facade carvings in dire need of restoration, and the Teen Khuniya (or Three-Cornered House), with its distinctive triangular layout.
    — Kalpana Sunder, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of stain
Noun
  • This obviously means piece of peach or speck of fish or smear of hotness — but in French, therefore classy.
    — Heather Havrilesky, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The moon appears incredibly large in the foreground of the image since it is located much closer to Earth than Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, which, by comparison, appears as nearly a speck behind the prominent natural satellite.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2025
Definition of speck
Verb
  • Hinsdale team names peppered the results board and in almost every category, the team had a racer in the top three.
    — Jacob Spetzler, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s distinctive brand of American architecture is peppered throughout the country.
    — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of pepper

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“Mottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mottle. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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