as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
the journalist was known as a gadfly for exposing hypocrisy in politics
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 gadfly
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
Our group of aging ski-bum, bicycle-riding gadflies wondered how the other 99.7% of America lived.
—Denver Post, 11 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
Douglas Miller is a long-time attorney and real estate industry gadfly who instigated the first of the commission lawsuits filed starting in 2019 against big brokerages and the National Association of Realtors, one of the largest professional lobby groups in the country.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Tony Schick, ProPublica, 14 Aug. 2025
Our group of aging ski-bum, bicycle-riding gadflies wondered how the other 99.7% of America lived.
—Denver Post, 11 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
Douglas Miller is a long-time attorney and real estate industry gadfly who instigated the first of the commission lawsuits filed starting in 2019 against big brokerages and the National Association of Realtors, one of the largest professional lobby groups in the country.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadfly
Noun
-
An Orange County judge granted the city of Santa Ana’s request for a preliminary injunction against several businesses on East First Street accused of being public nuisances.—
Mona Darwish,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
-
According to the American Mosquito Control Association, mosquitoes are not only a nuisance but also a public health concern, capable of carrying diseases like West Nile virus.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Gardening Tools Garden tools should be cleaned after every use to remove fungi, bacteria, and pests that can be transferred to healthy plants.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Our professional pest control company conducted an immediate inspection to ensure any activity is removed from our store.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Congress used to debate authorizing such things, but with the GOP House and Senate now reduced to glorified White House staff offices, Trump need not trifle with such annoyances.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
-
At the time, liberalism’s leading intellectuals laughed off public annoyance at Obama’s lackluster performance, declaring that to expect big things from him was to believe—childishly, contemptibly—that the president was a kind of superhero.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share