as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
the journalist was known as a gadfly for exposing hypocrisy in politics
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Recent Examples of gadfly
Among those present at the annual David Horowitz Freedom Center retreat in 2017 was a young Candace Owens, then striving to make her mark as a black conservative gadfly on social media.
—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
As horse and rider approached the Olympian gates, Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, who bolted and threw his rider.
—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
16 Nov. 2025
Renewable energy advocates treat activists like Gilbert as relentless gadflies who need to be stopped for the good of the planet.
—
Tony Schick,
ProPublica,
14 Aug. 2025
Doubling as an account of modern American conservatism (from media gadflies to six Supreme Court justices), the film is punctuated with contemporaneous footage that, viewed through the lens of Olin’s misdeeds, generates the tension and shock of a genre film.
—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
As horse and rider approached the Olympian gates, Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, who bolted and threw his rider.
—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
16 Nov. 2025
Renewable energy advocates treat activists like Gilbert as relentless gadflies who need to be stopped for the good of the planet.
—
Tony Schick,
ProPublica,
14 Aug. 2025
Doubling as an account of modern American conservatism (from media gadflies to six Supreme Court justices), the film is punctuated with contemporaneous footage that, viewed through the lens of Olin’s misdeeds, generates the tension and shock of a genre film.
—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadfly
Noun
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Someone decides what counts as cultivation and what counts as nuisance, what gets watered and what gets pulled, what belongs in the planned bed and what must be removed before visitors arrive.
-
Many people view heat as an annual summer nuisance but have no reference for differentiating dangerous extreme events.
Noun
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Keep your eyes peeled for these pesky pests buzzing around your yard.
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No matter how clean the room looks, the floor is a high-traffic highway for pests.
Noun
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The Warriors don’t need a teenager who needs a map to find the weight room — some long-term project who turns tantalization into annoyance — just add time.
-
SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick show care and loyalty to each other, as well as conflict, annoyance, and repair.
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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