haystack

noun

hay·​stack ˈhā-ˌstak How to pronounce haystack (audio)
1
: a stack of hay
2
: a vertical standing wave in turbulent river waters

Examples of haystack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Pulling the Season 2 hero from the application haystack required a specialized team working for months to find the perfect candidate whom TV viewers could really get behind. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026 Of course, any savvy collector recognizes that Monet’s haystacks and Pollack’s action paintings were once novel outliers, too. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2026 There’s some sitting on a haystack, there’s some lounging in his bed, but that’s it. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026 Tomasino told me this is not necessarily a scientific claim; still, the sheer quantity of chemicals interacting in a glass gives the search for offenders a needle-in-a-haystack quality. Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for haystack

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of haystack was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Haystack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haystack. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

haystack

noun
hay·​stack -ˌstak How to pronounce haystack (audio)
: a stack of hay

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