1
as in eclectic
consisting of many things of different sorts
a ship with a motley crew of old salts, young adventurers, and shifty characters of all ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in colorful
marked by a variety of usually vivid colors
a tropical bird with motley plumage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in assortment
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a motley of old junk stored in the attic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motley
Allbusiness, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
His job is to piece back together South Asia’s second biggest economy of over 170 million people and shepherd the motley band of student leaders, military generals, Islamists, and opposition politicians who forced Hasina’s departure toward fresh elections.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024
Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety.
—Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for motley 
Adjective
The whole question of business versus personal finances would have been reduced to black and white instead of the motley shades of all those receipts littering my living room floor.
—Allbusiness, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
His job is to piece back together South Asia’s second biggest economy of over 170 million people and shepherd the motley band of student leaders, military generals, Islamists, and opposition politicians who forced Hasina’s departure toward fresh elections.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
With a total team of 25 today, Schaper is trying to juggle a motley of distribution channels, each with their own unique needs and processes.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety.
—Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for motley
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motley
Adjective
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Those same influences reverberate throughout her eclectic albums — unmistakably threaded through with her gravelly, gorgeous voice.—
Cat Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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The result was a wide variety of power-train configurations finding a home in an eclectic array of models.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Her program prioritizes outside time and operates out of several yurt-style classrooms brimming with natural light and colorful Montessori materials.—
Kerry McDonald,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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Every home is haunted by its previous residents, but prewar apartments in the Village have particularly colorful ghosts.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Some of his friends also collected drawings of clowns on jailhouse envelopes sent by their dads.—
Frank Rojas,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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The buzziest piece unveiled for last year’s show consisted of two large inflatable clown heads squished between two buildings.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Owner Letty Ketner sealed the moment by bringing over a tableside pot of hot water with an assortment of teas to choose from.—
Melissa Oyler,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Jan. 2025
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The brands dropped a second assortment with fresh washes.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The performances will run the musical gamut and reflect a varied year in music, in which female narrators reined supreme, country ruled the charts and genre-bending was the name of the game. Need a break?—
Anna Kaufman,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
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Their distinct histories in the U.S. and varied relationships with the government had shaped three distinctly different political outlooks.—
Jane Hong / Made by History,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Before the show was over, a Black pastor from Detroit named Lorenzo Sewell approached the podium and made a damn fool of himself.—
Vinson Cunningham,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
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In my view, politics have become so closely intertwined with the way people see themselves that separating the two can feel like a fool’s errand.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Minimize noise and clutter Dr. Small says environmental triggers like loud sounds and jumbles of papers and clothing can increase sundowning symptoms.—
Cathy Habas,
SELF,
17 Jan. 2025
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Owners’ names now read like jumbles of computer code, retirement homes or rock bands: Silver Sage, Dream Homes, Blue Apple, P Fin VII, Wref II, 3xs2, Vivid, Straight Red Lines, TKJK, Jags Proper.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
24 June 2024
Adjective
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The federal government spent more than $6.7 trillion last fiscal year, with the largest payments directed toward Social Security, Medicare, interest payments, defense spending, and other assorted health costs.—
William Gavin,
Quartz,
23 Jan. 2025
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In 2023, Tom Holland, who has appeared opposite Cumberbatch as Spider-Man to his Doctor Strange in assorted Marvel movies, publicly credited his co-star with teaching him how to cry on command.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near motley
Cite this Entry
“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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