as in speck
a very small piece
surreptitiously removed a flyspeck of dirt from the china
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Recent Examples of flyspeck
That’s a flyspeck in a galaxy that measures 100,000 light years across and a universe that is a staggering 94 billion light years.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Dec. 2022
Travelers jumping into the West Texas badlands from Mexico through Candelaria, a flyspeck village 50 miles up two-lane blacktop northwest of Presidio, might be deceived by the prevailing verdant quiet.
—Dudley Althaus, San Antonio Express-News, 26 June 2021
But with a thousand islands scattered along their country’s jade-green Adriatic coast, from deserted flyspecks to hipster outposts, there’s no shortage of places to lick one’s wounds—or bask in silver-medal glory.
—Anja Mutić, WSJ, 19 July 2018
Compared to this, Comcast is a flyspeck, and Charter hasn’t even gotten started.
—David Dayen, The New Republic, 30 Apr. 2018
Amid these forces, Fed rate hikes are a relative flyspeck, says Doug Duncan, chief economist of Fannie Mae.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 14 June 2017
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Dec. 2022
Travelers jumping into the West Texas badlands from Mexico through Candelaria, a flyspeck village 50 miles up two-lane blacktop northwest of Presidio, might be deceived by the prevailing verdant quiet.
—Dudley Althaus, San Antonio Express-News, 26 June 2021
But with a thousand islands scattered along their country’s jade-green Adriatic coast, from deserted flyspecks to hipster outposts, there’s no shortage of places to lick one’s wounds—or bask in silver-medal glory.
—Anja Mutić, WSJ, 19 July 2018
Compared to this, Comcast is a flyspeck, and Charter hasn’t even gotten started.
—David Dayen, The New Republic, 30 Apr. 2018
Amid these forces, Fed rate hikes are a relative flyspeck, says Doug Duncan, chief economist of Fannie Mae.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 14 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flyspeck
Noun
-
The company’s share of its agreement with California — $55 million — is barely a speck on its balance sheet; revenue for Alphabet, Google’s parent company, topped $102 billion in its most recent quarterly earnings report.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Volcanic specks mushroom up from topaz seas, like a real estate brochure for The Man With The Golden Gun.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Editors could immediately tell that this wasn't your typical tortilla chip, noting the pale color and dark flecks of chia seed.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
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But right now, nearly every fleck of AI folly that’s risen to the top has been utter dreck.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The four actors reunited onstage to close out the Emmys with a hilariously charming bit inspired by their cult-favorite comedy series that, appropriately, gave O'Hara her flowers.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
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Paired with cornbread that is made with a little bit of a mess, your main dish will come off just beautifully.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Many objects are very dusty, many objects are located behind dust-rich regions of our own galaxy, and dust itself is a physical object made out of particles with a range of grain sizes.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The world’s largest cryogenic particle detector The DUNE far detector is planned as a series of enormous modules that will be constructed sequentially over several years.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As Girl Scouts moved around the room at the Miami Gardens community center this past week, some had vests with more than 100 badges and patches to signify their accomplishments.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
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The 2026 Super Bowl teams will wear patches celebrating the United States’s 250th birthday on their jerseys during the game.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Hellrigl is responsible for the food at the conference, and her touch is everywhere — bamboo utensils, paper plates, plastic-free coffee cups — along with the fresh fruit and whole-grain veggie kiosks lining the hallways.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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Fiber-rich carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans, potatoes, corn and high-fiber cereals can also be helpful by stabilizing blood sugar and supporting digestion, while also delivering long-lasting energy.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The program director, Kathy, slid me a scrap of paper.—
Nick Dothée,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Customers are also digging through the drawers for scrap gold and unwanted or broken jewelry.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Before preserving and storing your dress, Brooks suggests taking a small snippet of lace, fabric, buttons, or beading.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Some of Butler’s songs are mere snippets, some are full-length numbers, often with vocals in the three-part harmony familiar from the time.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flyspeck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flyspeck. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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