flyspeck

noun

ˈflī-ˌspek How to pronounce flyspeck (audio)
Definition of flyspecknext
as in speck
a very small piece surreptitiously removed a flyspeck of dirt from the china

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flyspeck
  1. speck
  2. fleck
  3. bit
  4. particle
  5. patch
  6. grain
  7. scrap
  8. snippet
Noun
  • The pair are flip sides of the same coin; Kinney a speck of blue running in a red state, and Austin a Republican running in the Democratic stronghold of Connecticut.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Chips could be destroyed by even a speck of dust, so factories became impregnable clean rooms, their workers clad in bunny suits.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • In addition, since all this debris is moving at orbital velocity, a fleck of paint traveling in the opposite direction to an operational satellite can hit it at a speed in excess of Mach 47.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
  • As few as 10 cells, hidden in an infinitesimal fleck of feces, can contaminate raw milk and trigger a fatal infection.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fleck
Noun
  • Jama took to social media to share a goodbye message with some of her best bits from the ITV reality series.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2026
  • But, unfortunately, got a little bit tangled up and fell awkward.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of bit
Noun
  • For example, two fluorescent particles positioned close together may appear as a single feature under a microscope.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
  • For example, homes can be made less likely to ignite with Class A fire-resistant roofs and ember-resistant vents that reduce the potential for burning particles to enter homes.
    — Virginia Iglesias, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of particle
Noun
  • My boho style and penchant for adding bright patches and brooches to all my clothing marked me as decidedly not a local.
    — Abby Hepworth, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The plaintiffs in the three lawsuits are calling for a halt to work on a monument that is set to be built on a patch of grass off a bridge that spans the Potomac River and connects Washington with Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va.
    — Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of patch
Noun
  • Instead of dissolving an entire sample for analysis, this method measures individual mineral grains directly.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Using a specialized rubidium-strontium dating technique, researchers analyzed individual mineral grains on its surface, preserving it for future analysis.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of grain
Noun
  • The three suspects — two Greeks and one Albanian national — are accused of removing piping from the building’s gas supply network to sell the copper as scrap, causing a major gas leak.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • There are scraps of industrial, cybergrind, metalcore, and death metal in this stew, as well as a healthy garnish of Godflesh’s machinelike relentlessness, all of it well balanced.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrap
Noun
  • The musician teased the release with an Instagram reel that included a snippet of the new version.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Listen to snippets of the album and hear about how Taupin has been able to keep his and John's relationship so strong.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of snippet

Browse Nearby Words

flysheets
flyspeck
flyspecks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flyspeck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flyspeck. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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