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
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
The Search Begins Our search began with what felt like hunting for a needle in a haystack.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
The search begins Our search began with what felt like hunting for a needle in a haystack.
—Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
Finding listeria is in a manufacturing plant can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
—Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a needle in a haystack
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Lucy Partington, Glamour, 17 Nov. 2025
The Search Begins Our search began with what felt like hunting for a needle in a haystack.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
The search begins Our search began with what felt like hunting for a needle in a haystack.
—Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
Finding listeria is in a manufacturing plant can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
—Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a needle in a haystack
Cite this Entry
“A needle in a haystack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20needle%20in%20a%20haystack. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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