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

Relevance

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
  • By Pond Farm is now asking a speck under $4 million with Turpin Realtors/Forbes Global Properties.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 July 2026
  • Rather than waiting several years to look at the object through the VLT once more, Sutlieff, Bonse and their colleagues dove into older, archival imagery of the star system, looking for signs of their speck.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • One image of her right knee showed flecks of blue plastic that prosecutors said came from an inflatable pool Burke used to collect blood while dismembering her body.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026
  • Someone unfamiliar with salt bread might even suspect a major baking error, seeing a questionably smooth croissant that entirely missed the lamination process, adorned with only a few flecks of salt acting as its saving grace.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 19 July 2026
Definition of fleck
Noun
  • And in April 2026 a researcher chasing Project Eleven's Q-Day Prize broke a 15-bit key on real quantum hardware.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • This light, summery soup is filled with fresh sweet corn and zucchini, and topped with savory bacon bits.
    — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of bit
Noun
  • Giant fans at the air bases would blow the pale particles around, Jack said, putting him directly in the path of the chemical.
    — Nicole Borman, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • These particles act as seeds on which water vapor condenses to form cloud droplets.
    — Yunyao Li, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of particle
Noun
  • These plant pests stimulate the Mexican petunia foliage to grow hairlike portions that form the white patches.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026
  • After a brief rough patch, Montgomery has ranked up his production at the plate lately.
    — Mike Barner, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of patch
Noun
  • The second follows in winter through the barn door, because grain is feed, often the largest variable cost in pork, chicken, eggs, milk and beef; those contract highs in Paris are next winter’s feed bills arriving early.
    — Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Under Kennedy’s stewardship, the HHS inverted the traditional food pyramid which placed grains at the bottom (most consumed) and fats and oils at the top (least consumed).
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026
Definition of grain
Noun
  • In his email, Berney suggested that the thieves were probably just selling the drives for scrap.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 July 2026
  • The shirt piece — along with a few other scraps of fabric from one suitcase in particular — showed traces of the chemicals RDX and PETN, which are commonly left behind after Semtex explosions, per The Guardian.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
Definition of scrap
Noun
  • The performance moved smoothly along at a breakneck pace, evenly showcasing each of the big stars, while still managing to feel like a cohesive performance as opposed to just a series of snippets sewn together.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
  • In a separate June 29 filing, Clenney’s lawyers argued prosecutors are presenting a misleading snippet of the February 2022 elevator video.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 18 July 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 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on flyspeck

Nglish: Translation of flyspeck for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of mitigate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All