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
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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
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Recent Examples of spotting
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
This spotting confirms to conservationists that the elusive species is breeding successfully in southern Thailand.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
From caves and lakeside swims to wildlife spotting and more, this spot where Missouri meets Arkansas is the perfect place to spend your next break with kids.
—Kaity Velez, Parents, 23 Dec. 2025
This year's Orionids shower is due to peak when there is a new moon, providing darker skies and ideal conditions for meteor spotting.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Farther east, Amsterdamse Bos is a forest three times larger than Central Park, with lots of trails and wildlife spotting—and even a ropes-and-zip line course.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 1 Oct. 2025
Capitol Reef was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2015, and autumn's cool, clear nights are a great time to go constellation spotting.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
In MLPerf Tiny benchmarks, the X160 Gen 2 reportedly delivered 2x the performance of competing solutions with a similar small footprint, across workloads like keyword spotting, image classification, and anomaly detection.
—Marco Chiappetta, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Kissing Bugs Kissing bugs are small, dark, wingless insects with reddish spotting.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2025
Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
There’s great wildlife spotting.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
In Atlanta, spotting a local at a hotel restaurant is like catching a glimpse of a unicorn—but Tiny Lou’s happens to be filled with unicorns.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
And in Santa Ynez Canyon, Simpson loved spotting the Humboldt’s lilies, knowing the perennials would come back every year.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
For 2025 tax returns, the IRS said lenders can offer an online portal to buyers for spotting total amount of interest paid on new car loans in 2025.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
But just spotting patterns isn’t enough—the real advantage comes from learning how to apply them.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
After rinsing, dry the piece immediately with a clean, lint-free towel to prevent spotting.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 7 Jan. 2026
According to a 911 call log, a member of construction crew called police after spotting the victim from outside the home.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
Dry Your Shower and Close the Curtain Get rid of waterdrops on shower walls and doors to prevent mildew growth and water-spotting in about 30 seconds with a squeegee.
—Verb
Having designed dozens of homes and studied many more, interior designers become accustomed to spotting some of the same home accessories over and over again.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotting
Noun
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The discovery was found in the ancient ruins of Gabii, about 11 miles east of Rome.—
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According to researchers, the discovery could pave the way for faster electronics, efficient superconducting wires, and future quantum technologies.—
Verb
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Cameras caught a clergy member sprinkling a little holy water on the Acrisure Stadium turf about two hours before kickoff on Sunday.—
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In the second season of Andor, Tony Gilroy continued his indictment of rising fascism, sprinkling the sci-fi tropes with grandstanding political drama, the impending doom of an action thriller, and a helping of French-resistance imagery, then tossing it all in a blender.—
Verb
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Or noticing that your hands feel inexplicably stiff and swollen, making simple tasks like opening a jar or even typing feel unusually difficult.—
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The second witness went inside for safety, then re-emerged, noticing the brothers were fighting, court records state.—
Verb
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Always follow product instructions exactly, and avoid spraying when beneficial insects such as bees or ladybugs are present in the area.—
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If detected, they can be controlled by spraying the camellias with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.—
Noun
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Still, David Super, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, said the Supreme Court could agree with Pepper-Jackson's attorneys that more fact-finding is needed.—
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To reduce potential bias, the study was funded by Eurac Research and MountainLab (Mountain Medicine Research Group, University of Bergen), and Eurac’s Institute for Mountain Emergency Medicine agreed to publish the findings regardless of outcome.—
Verb
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Burn scars dotting our state from Paradise to Pacific Palisades show clearly his failure to prioritize fire prevention.—
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The city is in a valley, so nearly every building has a view—on this January morning, of fires dotting the hills and little, loud aircraft flying in all directions, like a mosquito swarm on a hot night.—
Verb
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Federal officials have said agents, including those part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are seeing increases in assaults and threats against them.—
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Since the suitcase won’t be as easy to zip open, thieves will have a harder time seeing whether or not your belongings are valuable; this alone could prevent your bag from becoming a target.—
Noun
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In addition to earlier detection, the study from GRAIL, a biotechnology company, showed that its multi-cancer early detection (MCED) testing method found cancers in organs that don't have routine screening tests.—
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This demands extremely fast detection, early warning, and emergency response – key capabilities for modern military and civil defense forces.—
Cite this Entry
“Spotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotting. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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