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
Sooty blotch looks like a brown or black blotch on the fruit; sooty blotch, unlike flyspeck, will wipe off the fruit.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 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
To those who grew up with Duncan in the U.S. Virgin Islands, their friend’s voyage from a picturesque flyspeck in the middle of the ocean to the basketball Hall of Fame was equal parts preordained and inconceivable.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 14 May 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
That is why presidential candidates hire squads of lawyers to flyspeck donations during a campaign.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 May 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
Sooty blotch looks like a brown or black blotch on the fruit; sooty blotch, unlike flyspeck, will wipe off the fruit.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 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
To those who grew up with Duncan in the U.S. Virgin Islands, their friend’s voyage from a picturesque flyspeck in the middle of the ocean to the basketball Hall of Fame was equal parts preordained and inconceivable.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 14 May 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
That is why presidential candidates hire squads of lawyers to flyspeck donations during a campaign.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 May 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
-
Like specks of dirt falling victim to a vacuum, balls were simply drawn into his glove.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
19 June 2025
-
This natural phenomenon, in which light-emitting sea creatures like algae cause the water to glitter with specks of blue and white light, is best viewed on a dark, moonless night.—
Jessie Beck,
AFAR Media,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
After drying, Messinger meticulously cleans the artifacts with delicate animal-hair brushes and painstakingly removes rust, fleck by fleck, with a dental pick.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The blue is speckled with some white flecks, which reminds me of blue enamelware pots and pans for a down-home aesthetic.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Forensic scientists showed the jury tiny red bits of plastic stuck in the fabric of O’Keefe’s sweatshirt, and pieces of Read’s taillight near where the body was found.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
18 June 2025
-
There’s familiarity, there’s evolution and there’s a little bit of something for all demographics of music too, not just country.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
According to Chi Li, assistant research professor and first author of the study, the small particles identified tend to come from direct air emissions, such as black carbon particles from diesel engines, or the smoke from wildfires.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
-
These filters trap smaller particles, such as pollen.—
Sharon Liao,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Examples can be seen as small red patches all across this view of Chamaeleon I. The most recent census of Chamaeleon I, by Penn State University astronomer Kevin Luhman in 2017, found about 50 new stars and brown dwarfs, bringing the total population of Chamaeleon I up to 226 members.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
16 June 2025
-
On a branch in a patch of sunlight, the owl landed and stared at us with big, bright, curious yellow eyes.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Throughout the middle passage, it has been said that our ancestors wove familiar items such as beads, shells, or even seeds and grains from home into their braids, to keep with them along their journeys.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 June 2025
-
Without using wheat, rye, barley, couscous, bulgur, and other crossbreeds of those grains, gluten-free pasta can be made from brown rice, white rice, corn, legumes, quinoa, edamame, lentils, or beans.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, in the UFC Atlanta co-main event, former two-time UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas faces the rising Miranda Maverick in a flyweight scrap.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
Authorities were able to track down the suspect thanks to fingerprints on the bag covering the woman and a scrap of a tent like ones provided to people without shelter, the newspaper said.—
Colleen Barry,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
The clearest takeaway from those snippets is that the Galaxy S25 Edge will play a role in the Fold 7’s design.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
-
Cardi has teased snippets of the single on social media in recent months, and the positive reception has finally led to a full release.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flyspeck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flyspeck. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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