1
as in fleck
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
a lizard with specks of white against a green body
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in glimmer
a very small amount
not a speck of explanation to accompany the book's pictures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in particle
a very small piece
a speck of dust was preventing the laser from reading the disc
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to sprinkle
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
dirt that had specked the windows of the factory for ages
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of speck
Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2025
Foreign aid is a speck in the 6.75-trillion-dollar government budget.
—Atul Gawande, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2025
Brian Lowry, CNN, 19 Apr. 2018
To get into the spirit, order a ginger beer and rock shrimp fritters, fried balls of doughy goodness specked with bell pepper and spices that come steaming hot with a side of spicy mayo.
—Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, 12 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for speck
Noun
One of them shows the moon from a distance—a tiny white speck in a sea of black—and the other captures the lander’s hardware with a view of the moon in the background.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2025
Foreign aid is a speck in the 6.75-trillion-dollar government budget.
—Atul Gawande, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2025
Verb
For all its strengths, though, the series proves a bit of a slog, at times, as the wheels turn along the dusty, blood-specked road to wherever this maze leads.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 19 Apr. 2018
To get into the spirit, order a ginger beer and rock shrimp fritters, fried balls of doughy goodness specked with bell pepper and spices that come steaming hot with a side of spicy mayo.
—Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, 12 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for speck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speck
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
Noun
-
His win is a glimmer of hope for those who don’t live in mansions but just want to make movies.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2025
-
No Other Land, about the destruction of a West Bank community, offers a glimmer of hope in the bond between an Israeli and a Palestinian.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
But in space, especially beyond Earth’s orbit, astronauts are more exposed to these particles, which can damage DNA, increase cancer risk, and accelerate cellular aging.—
Jake Parks,
Discover Magazine,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Laser direct infrared imaging—an advanced form of microscopy using laser light—was used to detect and count the microplastic particles in each bird's lungs.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Brighter yellow and golden blotches run along its forehead, sides and lower back.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
After being made aware of her video, Monadnock Food Co-op had to issue a recall and refunds for their organic red quinoa, organic white quinoa, organic tri-color quinoa, organic cornmeal, organic polenta, organic coconut shreds, and their raw walnuts.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
-
The affected products include quinoa, cornmeal, polenta, coconut shreds and walnuts.—
Terry Dickerson,
NBC News,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Getting into Gillis’ monologue, like Dave Chappelle and many other stand-ups who’ve hosted over the years the comedian kicked off his second stint by re-hashing some of his regular bits, as well as introducing some new jokes to the Studio 8H crowd.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
2 Mar. 2025
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Doing it all at once can result in some of the cereal crushed into dust while other bits remain significantly larger.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Blackened vegetation dotted the hillsides rising above Pacific Coast Highway.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Graffiti, street stickers, and paintings dot the streets, suggesting that millions of Berliners bike through an invisible Fourth Reich that is rising all around them.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speck. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
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