a needle in a haystack

noun phrase

informal

: someone or something that is very hard to find

Searching for your earring at the park will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Examples of a needle in a haystack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Finding a confidence-boosting swimsuit can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, but Amazon shoppers love this style for its modest coverage and inclusive sizing. —Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

Roselli added the ongoing work by investigators in the Guthrie case amounts to the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack. —Joe Holden, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026

Finding the best discounts at Wayfair can feel a bit like locating a needle in a haystack. —Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025

For anybody with rosacea, chances are that–like me–you’ll be well aware that finding the best serums for rosacea that actually calm skin (without sending it into a frenzy) can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. —Lucy Partington, Glamour, 17 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for a needle in a haystack

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback