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
-
Like the dead leaves piling up on the driveway, Darryl is often unlikeable, or seen as simply a nuisance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The lawsuit accused Sacramento of creating a public nuisance and violating a Fish and Game Code section prohibiting polluting California’s waters.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Wounds caused by lawn maintenance equipment invite diseases and pests that can eventually kill the dogwood.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The screen installed on the door was not properly constructed to prevent pest entry, as the mesh openings were excessively large.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One of the great delights, but also slight annoyances of doing a show as popular as American Psycho, [is] that family, friends, everyone wants to see it.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Cue more annoyance among the home fans.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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