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
Among those present at the annual David Horowitz Freedom Center retreat in 2017 was a young Candace Owens, then striving to make her mark as a black conservative gadfly on social media.
—
Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
As horse and rider approached the Olympian gates, Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, who bolted and threw his rider.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Nov. 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
Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
As horse and rider approached the Olympian gates, Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, who bolted and threw his rider.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Nov. 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
-
In May, Social Circle filed a lawsuit against DHS, arguing the agency violated federal environmental review requirements and Georgia public nuisance law while pursuing the project.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Besides being nuisances, many types carry diseases including West Nile virus, encephalitis, and canine heartworm.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Make sure to keep mulch at least 6 inches away from tree trunks to reduce pest and rot issues.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 June 2026
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Cons Baseline general pest plans cover fewer insect species out of the box.—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Underpinning it all, and a big part of why Grella’s words touched a raw nerve, is a spiky rivalry between the two sporting nations that carries some angst and underdog annoyance, and has the Australian public and national team genuinely irked.—
Tom Bogert,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Everything about the place signals a level of unrestricted aesthetic devotion at which money seems almost an abstract annoyance.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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