1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
only spotty business failures marred the economic boom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dotted
marked with spots
Dalmatians are spotty dogs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 spotty
Head coach Leon Rice was adamant his team would heat up from three, but the 3-point shooting remained spotty.
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Feb. 2025
The Jayhawks’ offense was spotty at best the final half.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 2 Feb. 2025
The indie box office continues its post-COVID struggle, making festival acquisitions spotty.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025
Have there been years when germination has been spotty or not at all?
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Feb. 2025
The Jayhawks’ offense was spotty at best the final half.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 2 Feb. 2025
The indie box office continues its post-COVID struggle, making festival acquisitions spotty.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025
Have there been years when germination has been spotty or not at all?
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotty
Adjective
-
It’s been pretty sporadic and erratic with a bunch of them.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2025
-
In its initial phase, between 1990 and 2005, pirate attacks were sporadic and contained mostly in the Gulf of Aden.—
Soham Mitra, Lou Robinson and Patrick Gallagher,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The intermittent reward of finding something new and interesting does not allow the brain to relax and get ready to sleep.—
Caitlin Pagán,
Verywell Health,
7 Mar. 2025
-
After the know-nothing county board opts to raze the baseball diamond to make way for a school, the teams meet for one final game at their beloved Soldier’s Field, with girlfriends, kids, and local hooligans as intermittent spectators.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
When do most of us wear gowns outside of the occasional black tie wedding?—
Sarah Boyd,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Staff chat in Spanish during the occasional lull between rushes and fresh tortillas perfume the air, making the space feel like a friend’s dining room.—
Edmund Tijerina,
Bon Appétit,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
His career arc was atypically jagged and erratic for a pop singer, starting at an unnaturally young age and continuing for decades, but rarely for more than a hit song at a time, and often with many fallow years coming in between them.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Deepfake films, for example, frequently feature odd blinking patterns, erratic lighting and inconsistent facial expressions.—
Rohan Pinto,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotty. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share