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
Relevance
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
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 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
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2024
The quote by Virginia Woolf glared as a harbinger to the gender studies motifs dappled throughout the two-hour Taylor Swift course taught at Northeastern University by Catherine Fairfield.
—Bryan West, The Tennessean, 4 Jan. 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
All have green leaves dappled with white, yellow, or pale green.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2024
The quote by Virginia Woolf glared as a harbinger to the gender studies motifs dappled throughout the two-hour Taylor Swift course taught at Northeastern University by Catherine Fairfield.
—Bryan West, The Tennessean, 4 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dapple
Noun
-
The song structures melt into goo; the lyrics pelt flecks of raw feeling.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
3 Dec. 2024
-
Each light is attached to a green string to easily blend into your tree, and once the lights are turned on, the liquid inside each bulb bubbles to reveal floating flecks of gold glitter to make your tree shine.—
Kaitlin Gates,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Pour remaining egg mixture over top and sprinkle with sliced almonds.—
Anna Theoktisto,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Because of this, Keatley suggests eating beans at least 12 to 24 hours before a workout and consistently sprinkling them throughout your diet, focusing on smaller servings at each sitting versus larger ones to minimize side effects.—
Korin Miller,
Outside Online,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Such heady heights look like a speck on the horizon right now, and the question is how small that prospect needs to shrink for anger in the stands to rise again.—
Laurie Whitwell,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
This ham is spiraled and salty, with lots of yummy marbling around the sides.—
Carrie Honaker,
Southern Living,
11 Dec. 2024
-
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
-
Coronal holes may superficially appear to be similar to sunspots, as both appear as dark blotches on our star.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Both have gray-brown bodies with a smattering of lighter cream and darker brown blotches.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
McFadden peppered both sides with questions during arguments over a lawsuit the AP filed Friday saying that its 1st Amendment rights were being violated by the ban, which began gradually two weeks ago.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Less than 24 hours after Smart’s trade from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Washington Wizards became official, youngsters Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington peppered him with questions about how to become better defenders.—
Josh Robbins,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dapple. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share