spackle
Americanverb (used with or without object)
Etymology
Origin of spackle
First recorded in 1925–30; perhaps from German Spachtel “putty knife,” variant of Spatel “spatula”; see spatula ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When the Pratts recently redid their bathroom, Gina Pratt explained, Harvey couldn’t hold back from sculpting small, figurative frescoes into the spackle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
The White Sox, a talented but underachieving bunch meandering through another disappointing season, have spackle to share.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2023
You can either paste the paper back down with wallpaper adhesive, or tear off the damaged parts, spackle, and sand the area.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2022
Plus, the thought of “ever after” without license to spackle over the occasional crack is a little terrifying.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 17, 2022
I’ve seen her do stuff like this before—fix leaky pipes, unplug a clogged sink, or smack a glob of spackle on a hole in the wall.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
The Order: The sesame bagel is lovely on its own—or spackled with a schmear of pastrami lox cream cheese.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
There are scenes of childbirth, as a man and woman look toward a swaddled baby in what appears to be a hospital room where the spackled walls show scars of fighting.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 19, 2022
His sauce is more like a vibrant, slightly spicy salsa, and it’s spackled on in dollops atop the cheese, allowing for a fluffier crust.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 6, 2020
It can feel as if the show’s cinematic ambitions lose out to an ineffable CBS-ness that insists on order and outcome — particularly in the final hour, which feels overly spackled with epilogue.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 25, 2019
Big-hoofed gray horses spackled like wolves, that rolled their eyes and whinnied at my footfall, leagued with men as if strapped to their business by harness I could not see.
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
Start with good mayo, and use just enough to bind; we’re not spackling a wall.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025
And who knows, somewhere some drywall might end up in need of a little spackling.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 5, 2023
Keal is particularly drawn to textured pieces, which are easy to DIY using spackling paste or joint compound and any paint colors you like.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 5, 2022
Away—a company that sells luggage directly to consumers via sleek Instagram-able ads—is having issues spackling over a crack in its impractical hard-shell casing.
From Slate ● Jan. 15, 2020
He hates painting, for one thing, and his spackling is a disaster.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
