as in nuisances
one who is obnoxiously annoying
the journalist was known as a gadfly for exposing hypocrisy in politics
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Recent Examples of gadflies
Their false claims about getting financially fleeced by Uncle Sam were fueled by a rather sophisticated, albeit deceitful and shameful lobbying campaign, sponsored by greedy gadflies out to make a quick buck.
—
Tom Margenau, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
Renewable energy advocates treat activists like Gilbert as relentless gadflies who need to be stopped for the good of the planet.
—Tony Schick, ProPublica, 14 Aug. 2025
Doubling as an account of modern American conservatism (from media gadflies to six Supreme Court justices), the film is punctuated with contemporaneous footage that, viewed through the lens of Olin’s misdeeds, generates the tension and shock of a genre film.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
Tom Margenau, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
Renewable energy advocates treat activists like Gilbert as relentless gadflies who need to be stopped for the good of the planet.
—Tony Schick, ProPublica, 14 Aug. 2025
Doubling as an account of modern American conservatism (from media gadflies to six Supreme Court justices), the film is punctuated with contemporaneous footage that, viewed through the lens of Olin’s misdeeds, generates the tension and shock of a genre film.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadflies
Noun
-
Barry said the new penalties are being enacted to coincide with the town’s passage of new rules dealing with nuisances and stormwater issues.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Jody Allen should not appear on a list of the NFL’s biggest nuisances.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Updating your flooring can prevent pests, make your home more stable, and increase your resale value.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Leafy greens like head and leaf lettuce, spinach, and kale typically have very few pests aside from slugs early in the growing season and require very little input beyond abundant water and nitrogen.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Most people use reviews to seek out pleasures and avoid annoyances.—
Sophie Spiegelberger,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
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The best affordable pet products are ones that solve everyday annoyances—like odor, shedding, scratch damage, messy mealtimes or anxious behaviors.—
Kasey Caminiti,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gadflies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadflies. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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