spottily

adverb

Definition of spottilynext
as in intermittently

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spottily
  1. intermittently
  2. fitfully
  3. unpredictably
  4. disjointedly
  5. fortuitously
  6. unconsciously
  7. inadvertently
  8. unwittingly
Adverb
  • Since December 2024, an eruption has been intermittently active within Halema'uma'u crater at the summit.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Parker’s hair was gathered into an enormous, layered, fishtail braid that starts high on the back of her head with a bow, its ends interlaced intermittently with the incredibly thick folds of the plaits.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of intermittently
Adverb
  • The participants in the meditation group slept more fitfully, with more frequent awakenings, than those who didn’t meditate.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Martin Filler The Met’s new Tristan und Isolde was a vocal triumph for Lise Davidsen and Michael Spyres, but Yuval Sharon’s staging only fitfully captured the essence of Wagner’s masterpiece.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
Definition of fitfully
Adverb
  • Over time, the tags fall off or attach chaotically, meaning tags are inconsistent between cells and genes start turning on unpredictably.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Outdoors is also a rough place to work, since humidity, temperature, and wind swing unpredictably.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unpredictably
Adverb
  • The game ran poorly, crashed regularly, looked unremarkable, and drove disjointedly.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of disjointedly
Adverb
  • And, fortuitously for would-be sponsors, something happened in tennis that made these arrangements even more appealing.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The earnings announcement was fortuitously timed, coming just as reports were surfacing of high-level OpenAI employees joining the company.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fortuitously
Adverb
  • There’s also evidence that some mimicry happens unconsciously.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Perhaps the actions of England’s peasantry made such a formative impression on young Greengrass that he was unconsciously drawn to other stories with a similar thematic undercurrent.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconsciously
Adverb
  • However, Harvey said, such a demotion must be carefully implemented so as not to inadvertently punish Championship League teams investing the right way in the hopes of making the top flight.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Tightening your budget belt over a hypothetical is a surefire way to inadvertently cut revenue.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of inadvertently
Adverb
  • Artists unwittingly contribute to the nation’s unaffordability crisis.
    — Luisa Yanez October 2, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • As Vanderslice unwittingly contributed to the story with some quotes, not realizing the tone and direction of the article, his candidacy was derailed and his credibility ruined.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of unwittingly
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.

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spotters
spottily
spotting
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Cite this Entry

“Spottily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spottily. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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