as in dotted
marked with spots
create a stippled effect by dabbing a contrasting color of paint over an undercoat with a rag or sponge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sprinkled
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
the sunlight falling through the lace curtain stippled her face
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 stippled
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Grating anything is usually a knuckle-threatening chore—but this stippled ceramic dish from Japan makes it into its own soothing ritual, turning a brown stem into liquidish gold with a few easy rubs.
—The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2025
The page squinted up at the nightingale, her dull feathers and stippled breast.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Over a 10-month period, our editors—all with vastly different preferences for coverage, finish, and format—buffed and blended (and swept and stippled) their way through about 650 submissions.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Look for fine webbing and speckled or stippled leaves, which are signs of their presence, says Harvell.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Grating anything is usually a knuckle-threatening chore—but this stippled ceramic dish from Japan makes it into its own soothing ritual, turning a brown stem into liquidish gold with a few easy rubs.
—The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2025
The page squinted up at the nightingale, her dull feathers and stippled breast.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Over a 10-month period, our editors—all with vastly different preferences for coverage, finish, and format—buffed and blended (and swept and stippled) their way through about 650 submissions.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Inside the passage, the lips of water beyond my torchlight are coal black, stippled with freckles of sediment.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stippled
Adjective
-
Similar to the actress’s blouse, this Amazon find has billowy long sleeves, a playful dotted print, and a tie neckline that adds extra fashion flair when poking out from under spring jackets and blazers.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Cane-Like Begonias Cane-like begonias, known as angel wings, are known for their glossy, dotted, or hairy foliage.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Roast chickpeas to make a crunchy snack (that can also be sprinkled over salads and grain bowls).—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Today, this custom has evolved into subtler hints of the color, quietly hidden in the bridal look or sprinkled throughout the events of the day.—
Rosie Jarman,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When the Woods Hole Science Aquarium reopens in 2027, the split-colored lobster is expected to be among the animals on display for visitors — a 1-in-50-million catch that went from a Cape Cod fishing boat to a permanent home at a Massachusetts aquarium.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Deputies put out a be-on-the-lookout for a dark-colored car.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Additional surveillance footage showed Marcelin in his building's laundry room cleaning a kitchen mat that appears stained with blood, according to prosecutors.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The air rang with random alarms; the soft surfaces were mottled with mystery stains.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But Tariq’s body was already cold, and his skin was mottled.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The biscuits, flecked with frilly sprigs of dill, are pulled together with sour cream, giving them tenderness and a mild tang.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Locked in a safe on her desk at Boston University’s Institute for Astrophysical Research is a shard of meteorite flecked with material older than the sun.—
James Dinneen,
Quanta Magazine,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The coconut frosting, speckled with coconut flakes, was the best part.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In the living room, dirt was blown into the house and speckled a far wall from floor to ceiling.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stippled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stippled. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
