1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
only spotty business failures marred the economic boom
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dotted
marked with spots
Dalmatians are spotty dogs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of spotty
Frustrated by spotty street signage, Gleason devised a standardized system for determining one's distance from Central Avenue and Van Buren Street in Downtown Phoenix.
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Douglas C. Towne, The Arizona Republic, 5 Oct. 2024
The age of the poles isn’t a sole factor for spotty reliability but are relatively older than infrastructure for other utilities, according to the audit.
—Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep. 2024
Catterson was able to give only a very spotty account of events following Titan’s loss of communication.
—Mark Harris, WIRED, 16 Sep. 2024
Third-party warranties might be less expensive, but their coverage on repairs could be spotty or limited to a certain mechanic and might require you to pay out of pocket first and wait for a long time to get reimbursed.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spotty 
Douglas C. Towne, The Arizona Republic, 5 Oct. 2024
The age of the poles isn’t a sole factor for spotty reliability but are relatively older than infrastructure for other utilities, according to the audit.
—Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep. 2024
Catterson was able to give only a very spotty account of events following Titan’s loss of communication.
—Mark Harris, WIRED, 16 Sep. 2024
Third-party warranties might be less expensive, but their coverage on repairs could be spotty or limited to a certain mechanic and might require you to pay out of pocket first and wait for a long time to get reimbursed.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotty
Adjective
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Haze — a cousin of drum legend Buddy Rich — went on to appear in Corman’s 1963 films The Terror and X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes and would have sporadic film and TV roles culminating with the 2010 gangland drama feature Nobody Smiling.Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
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Popular on Variety As for adult viewers, they may be engrossed during the sporadic stretches of middling suspense, and impressed by the striking cinematography of Idan Menin, which greatly enhances the movie’s overall impact.Joe Leydon, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Plus: Expect intermittent closures of Pennsylvania Avenue between the 2200-2400 blocks on Monday.Mike D'Onofrio, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
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This presented significant challenges to utilities because of the intermittent nature of renewable energy.Greg Robinson, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Staying in touch: Send occasional check-ins, updates, or tips to keep your business top of mind.Melissa Houston, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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The army has returned to several areas of Gaza multiple times after previous operations, as Hamas continues to carry out hit-and-run attacks on troops and fire occasional rockets into Israel.Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Notorious for his fiery personality and erratic behavior, Steinbrenner replaced his managers 20 times in his first 23 seasons—firing and then rehiring Billy Martin five times—and changed publicity directors 13 times in 26 years, according to Sports Illustrated.Justin Birnbaum, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
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The bottom line: As Election Day nears, Trump has not tapered his off-script controversial comments — rather, his language has grown more erratic and hyperbolic.Avery Lotz, Axios, 20 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near spotty
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotty. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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