as in discovery
the act or process of sighting or learning the existence of something for the first time
the spotting of a new bird is always a thrill for an avid bird-watcher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
to give the effect of sunlight on water, the artist spotted the lake in his painting with flecks of gold paint
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I spotted both of them as they tried to sneak out the back door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spraying
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
the TV networks had spotted reporters all over the state for the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotting
Noun
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The discovery came as a complete shock to archaeologists, who were unaware of the church or its burial ground.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2025 -
The discovery resulted in dozens of charges including rape of a minor under 12.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Boeing’s Historical Odds Of Positive Post-Earnings Return Some key findings regarding one-day (1D) post-earnings movements: Across 20 earnings releases in the past five years, there were 10 positive and 10 negative 1D returns, meaning a 50% chance of a positive reaction.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
-
His courageous findings debunk the conventional wisdom reflected and amplified by Missing: there is no evidence that the U.S. government was involved.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Saint Alphonsus is still seeing some sporadic RSV cases and typical COVID cases for this time of year, Kitamura said.—
Carolyn Komatsoulis,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Jan. 2025
-
The games have been about playing spoiler in the NFC playoff picture and seeing what on this 2024 roster is transferrable to the future.—
Saad Yousuf,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
South Bow, a liquid pipelines business that has managed the Keystone Pipeline since 2024, said control center leak detection systems detected a pressure drop in the system and initiated a shutdown and response around 7:42 a.m.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Contaminated dairy products are among the most common sources of such bacterial outbreaks, making early detection and recall critical for public health.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The exclamations continued, though, with everyone else on my new team peppering their prose with similar jolts of electricity.—
Danny Heitman,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 Apr. 2025
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So the man does, with Whitfield peppering him with questions throughout.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Warriors are currently riding high on a five-game win streak, and are eyeing a potential top-four seed in the West.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
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Casting of new roles is expected to begin shortly, with production eying a July start, sources said.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Heat has had discussions with several teams in recent days regarding a potential Butler trade, according to a league source, but nothing has surfaced enticing enough for Miami to make a deal yet.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2025
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Look to the furore regarding Burger King’s 2024 ‘Foodfilment’ campaign showing real and non-staged British mothers tucking into a dirty burger immediately post-partum as a key marketing example.—
Katie Baron,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Spotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotting. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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