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
-
Then suddenly, every speck of pollen, dust and grime is impossible to ignore.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Featuring bolder, thicker spots at the top and more refined, micro specks down the skirt, this mini dress makes all-day, fashionable wear easier than ever.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its design, crafted by Russell Sage Studio, is meant to be an on-the-nose reflection of the distillery's famed product, with bronzy walls the color of its single malt, and a ceiling painted to look like barley, reflecting the morning dew with flecks of gold throughout.—
Alessandra Amodio,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Always a Runner made a move around the final turn and needed every bit of the stretch to pass Bob Baffert’s Explora and and Michael McCarthy’s Meaning before the finish line of the 1 1/8-mile race.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Jackson and other experts detail why apple cores and other food waste are harmful, and why the best way to protect our natural habitats is not to throw anything out, even the seemingly harmless bits.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Non-volatile Particulate Matter (nvPM) counters measured soot and black carbon particles, while volatile aerosol and trace-gas instruments (chemiluminescent NOₓ analyzers, hygrometers, thermometers) logged exhaust and ambient chemistry.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But in the quantum realm, randomness reigns; a particle comes with multiple quantum states, collapsing to just one of them in unpredictable ways.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then, find a patch of sky roughly 40 degrees away from this location in the direction of your local zenith (which is the point above your head).—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
Injuries being such a major plotline has made this season feel like a bit of a slog, but there have been some fun patches to enjoy.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Crafted from top-grain Italian leather with a cotton lining and protective metal feet, it’s built to handle daily use and the occasional coffee spill.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 May 2026
-
Brown rice is a popular whole-grain option for its rich, nutty flavor, versatility in recipes, and myriad health benefits.—
Christina Manian,
Health,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Heizer specifically engineered it so that future humans, scavenging for scrap in a postapocalyptic scenario, would be forced to turn back from his monument empty-handed.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Some fruit trees, like peaches and cherries, grow easily from kitchen scraps with minimal effort and patience.—
Rachel Silva,
Martha Stewart,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
After filming the anticipated reunion, a snippet of an exchange among Ciara Miller, Westling Wilson and Amanda Batula was shared on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Record labels are doing this too, getting clippers to pair compelling video snippets with artists’ songs on places like TikTok, all in the hopes that the song is going to blow up.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flyspeck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flyspeck. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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