spottily

adverb

Definition of spottilynext
as in intermittently

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spottily
  1. intermittently
  2. fitfully
  3. unpredictably
  4. disjointedly
  5. fortuitously
  6. unconsciously
  7. inadvertently
  8. unwittingly
Adverb
  • The result is a collection of novels that, while intermittently electrifying, expend an incredible quantity of words on the semiotics of TV marketing and the ethics of selling out.
    — Robert Rubsam, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The company said Riley was hired in 2008 and worked there intermittently for a total of slightly more than four and a half years.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of intermittently
Adverb
  • Martin Filler The Met’s new Tristan und Isolde was a vocal triumph for Lise Davidsen and Michael Spyres, but Yuval Sharon’s staging only fitfully captured the essence of Wagner’s masterpiece.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
  • That’s Duncan’s dilemma from the very beginning of this fitfully hilarious episode of The Audacity.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of fitfully
Adverb
  • How these two segments smash together so unpredictably and imaginatively makes this yet another new horror film that thinks outside of the box.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Youthful ambition bequeathed them unpredictably shifting time signatures, a daunting nylon-string intro, some odd musical shifts during the guitar-solo section, and a long list of other complexities.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpredictably
Adverb
  • The game ran poorly, crashed regularly, looked unremarkable, and drove disjointedly.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of disjointedly
Adverb
  • The earnings announcement was fortuitously timed, coming just as reports were surfacing of high-level OpenAI employees joining the company.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Flor was fortuitously found in Gary, Indiana this week, after severe storms tore through the area earlier this month, leading to widespread power outages, destruction of property and substantial flooding.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fortuitously
Adverb
  • Likewise, a professional who identifies strongly with a particular school of thought — in economics, medicine, management, or technology — will tend to unconsciously favor sources that reinforce that framework and discount those that challenge it.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But in reality, of course, this is just happening almost unconsciously.
    — Jinae West, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of unconsciously
Adverb
  • Knowing a bailout is coming, however, may inadvertently encourage farmers to sustain their dependence on the risky Chinese export market.
    — Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Don't Accidentally Reward Complexity Organizations can inadvertently reward complexity because complexity is easier to see than good thinking.
    — Mustafa Shreet, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of inadvertently
Adverb
  • Geisinger isn’t the only hospital where young patients have unwittingly been exposed.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The homeowner, Brett Bymaster, lauded officers for ending the chaotic situation swiftly and without any harm to his adult children, son-in-law, and young grandchildren who were unwittingly ensnared in the encounter.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of unwittingly
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.

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spotters
spottily
spotting
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Cite this Entry

“Spottily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spottily. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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