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
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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
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Recent Examples of dapple
Dallas News, 9 May 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
Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
The vibe is classic supper club: jazz standards sweeping from the speakers, brimming bread baskets filling the tables, and vintage butter warmers with glowing votive candles dappling the room in soft flickers.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dapple
Noun
While out on walks in Dallas’ Uptown, people often stop Alison Roche to ask about her brown, dapple, floppy-eared dachshund.
—Dallas News, 9 May 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
In my mind, that always meant at least a plane ride's worth of travel—me in safari gear, sunlight dappling through the canopy, and swinging vines overhead.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
The vibe is classic supper club: jazz standards sweeping from the speakers, brimming bread baskets filling the tables, and vintage butter warmers with glowing votive candles dappling the room in soft flickers.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dapple
Noun
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One blink, and it was gone again, just another fleck in the mulch.—
Chris Schalkx,
Vogue,
30 Sep. 2025
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Yes, these flecks are seeds that were once inside of a vanilla bean, confirms Britton.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Today these works are well defined by Mondrian’s legacy, with his rigid paintings of black-and-white grids, sprinkled with rectangular forms in red, yellow, and blue.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Oct. 2025
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Not only does this help the mushrooms continue to sprinkle their spores along the forest floor, aiding the development of new mycelial networks, but this also avoids bruising and allows the delicate fungi to breathe, keeping them fresh and firm on the journey home.—
Callie Sumlin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This non-thermal heat then traveled several micrometers to a quantum-dot heat engine, a microscopic system that converts heat into electricity through quantum effects.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
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Asymmetrical Ruched Midi Dress Polka dots are back in a big way, and this romantic midi dress proves why.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wood floors that have been stained in interesting patterns create a sense of architecture and rhythm, bridge traditional elements with modern ones, and can even help a space feel larger.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Oct. 2025
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Sealing your grout is a great way to prevent further staining and using a steam cleaner can help to lift the stains.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The room is shadowy but lively, with the sense that there are things going on in every speck of the frame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
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Every splash of rain, speck of dust, or pinprick of light could mar the negative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ravn’s prose is striking too, richly marbled with quotation and detail pulled from primary source letters and court documents.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
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While Edmonton Oilers fans focus on the famous veteran wingers who were lost to free agency, the organization is focused on a new-look group that marbles youth, experience and the unknown in hopes of adding speed and goals.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Dark brown blotches of varying sizes dot their sides and back.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
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This fungal disease appears as gray blotches on the bark, eventually developing into sunken cankers.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The streets are brimming with culture, as homes and buildings peppered throughout the town are adorned with beautiful, colorful murals featuring Black men and women.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Oct. 2025
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But in many smaller ways, Harris peppers her narrative with places where the Biden White House undercut her or failed to support her.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dapple. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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