as in flecks
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 sprinkles
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 dapples
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Calling on a Rolodex of guest stars (Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Daniel Caesar), Hynes dapples his scenes in golden lo-fi.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
The 155 guest rooms and suites, freshened up since their rock and roll days, have wood floors with the Hotel Chelsea monogram now inlaid; the sun dapples through ivory eyelet fabric on the windows; and the bathrooms are classically done with light and dark grey marble accentuated by bronze details.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Calling on a Rolodex of guest stars (Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Daniel Caesar), Hynes dapples his scenes in golden lo-fi.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dapples
Noun
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Its design, crafted by Russell Sage Studio, is meant to be an on-the-nose reflection of the distillery's famed product, with bronzy walls the color of its single malt, and a ceiling painted to look like barley, reflecting the morning dew with flecks of gold throughout.—
Alessandra Amodio,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But for every shirt bearing a slogan, there were ten cheeks covered in (biodegradable) glitter like the kind that Diggins sprinkles on her face before every race.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Groff sprinkles this punchy, athletic syntax over a slew of intricate settings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Featuring bolder, thicker spots at the top and more refined, micro specks down the skirt, this mini dress makes all-day, fashionable wear easier than ever.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2026
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Silvery or mottled patches on leaves, brown or distorted petal edges, dark specks (feces) or flower buds that fail to open are signs of thrips.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Barnett dots up Knight for a 57-yard catch-and-run.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Rather than the stiff alien chitchat that dots his own screenplays, the characters in The Favourite trade the witty, venomous bon mots of The Great creator Tony McNamara.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
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The eggs vary in color—from white to blue to brown—with speckles, blotches, and other markings and are also distinctive in shape.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The combination has allowed dense patches of fog to form inland, particularly in areas farther from the coast.—
Lissette Gonzalez,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Tablets like Dramamine take up almost no space in your bag, but there are plenty of alternatives, too, like ginger chews or motion sickness patches.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This exercise is intended to not only show where the Rangers have players in place for 2026-27, and which spots those players are likely to occupy, but also to highlight the most glaring holes.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The two have starred in a number of commercials — including the 2025 and 2026 Super Bowl spots — for the beer brand, putting their hilarious dynamic on display.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dapples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dapples. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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