as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
the journalist was known as a gadfly for exposing hypocrisy in politics
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Recent Examples of gadfly
Sliwa, the longtime Guardian Angels head, is a perennial gadfly that few New Yorkers take seriously as a future mayor and his continued presence in the race guarantees that Mamdani’s opponents remain split.
—
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Oct. 2025
City Hall is a raw stage for democracy: scholars with binders, neighbors with gripes, gadflies with grievances sharpened to a point.
—Eric Preven, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Oct. 2025
City Hall is a raw stage for democracy: scholars with binders, neighbors with gripes, gadflies with grievances sharpened to a point.
—Eric Preven, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadfly
Noun
-
Pollution was legally viewed as a local nuisance – the unavoidable price of progress.—
Ella Whitman,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Quantum measurement disturbance, ordinarily a nuisance, would serve as a shield against prying eyes.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Terri Maguire, maintenance manager with Van Slyke Landscape, also suggested being very careful with maintenance products and chemicals like fertilizers as well as traps and bait for what people consider pests.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
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The establishment was later approved to reopen after taking care of the pest issue, according to the report.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Dedra picked up on Jocelyn's annoyance as well.—
Marcelena Spencer,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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But are these shapes merely an annoyance—or a sign of something more concerning?—
Cathy Nelson,
Health,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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