dots 1 of 2

plural of dot
as in flecks
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part there was just a dot on the tablecloth where the food had spattered

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dots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dot
1
as in sprays
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on a hillside dotted with wildflowers

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2
as in sprinkles
to mark with small spots especially unevenly the practice of some chefs of positioning a small portion of food in the center and dotting the rest of the plate with sauce

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 dots
Noun
Somewhere along the way, the Jacket decided to focus the run’s narrative arc on a celebration of the Grateful Dead, connecting the Dead’s dots between the bands, the venue, and the city in ways that ranged from subtle nods to overt testimony. — Benjy Eisen, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026 Ahead, black dots move in formation like ants as Everest’s imposing upper flanks loom above them. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 But Muse and dots offer this type of service to a huge commercial audience with almost no learning curve. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026 One of Lichtenstein’s takes on Monet in this show features the cathedral buried beneath a matrix of black dots set atop a deep blue background, in what may count as an allusion to Ad Reinhardt’s blue-on-blue abstractions of the ’50s. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 OpenAI’s recently released dots and Meta’s Muse are built around the assistant first and then sent out to use other companies’ websites and services. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026 As for application, the product dispenses from a cooling metal tip—yet another benefit for depuffing—and just a few dots do the trick. — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 7 Oct. 2026 To start, the 18-year-old dots Luna concealer under her eyes in an upside-down triangle formation. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026 But unlike Muse, dots won’t be available to consumers, at least initially. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
Prepare to be dazzled from Warsaw’s highest viewing terrace atop Varso Tower, which proudly dots the skyline, before eating your way through the innovative food halls that define the coolest neighborhoods. — Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026 Japanese linens top the bed, and designer furniture dots the living space. — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026 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 The $3,211 per month maintenance fees cover a part-time doorman and a fitness studio, while the location provides easy access to Madison Square Park plus all the shopping and dining that dots the area. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dots
Noun
  • The oversized jacket featured a furry white base adorned with flecks of silver, which beautifully mirrored the sumptuous coats on the runway.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Add the torn basil and process just until incorporated -- there will be flecks of green in the mixture.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Officials said the pesticide is an ultra-low-volume treatment that sprays approximately two tablespoons per acre.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • There’s Tanner, the middle of three boys who lives in his hometown and pilots a plane for the family business that sprays pesticides on crops.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Kemery sprinkles the tiny seeds either in late fall or very early spring, when there’s still a chance of frost, since cold spells offer the best germination.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026
  • Thomson sprinkles critique throughout his book like seasoning unevenly applied to a gamey piece of meat.
    — Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • The source was generally in good condition, but mold spots and dense clusters of small white specks required careful treatment.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Breakouts can look like milder, painless white bumps or dark specks known as whiteheads and blackheads, or more painful red bumps and deeper cysts — a mark of cystic acne.
    — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Lacy, who is famously fluid in his sexuality and laughs off any attempt to define it, peppers his songs with dreams of men and women, of wanting each yet leaving everyone.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
  • Instead, each child interacts only with a sophisticated artificial intelligence, which peppers them with questions about everything from mathematics to philosophy.
    — Niral Shah, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Vik spots it when Christy asks him to help her reverse-image-search Bo’s face.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • If someone spots the morality police approaching, English lessons are wiped from the whiteboard in seconds, and notebooks are replaced with needlework.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Juveniles can be distinguished by their dark facial bands and gray or tan body patterned with black or brown blotches.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Crews are also using steam to remove blotches of chewing gum, which have turned black over time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Advocates argue carts are silent, occupy less space than tourist vans and buses, and don’t choke the air with exhaust that also stains historic monuments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The man lies a few yards behind them, but the image stains her field of vision.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dots. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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