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
Political tumult in Arizona opened a path for a perennial election gadfly with anti-government leanings to win the governor’s race.
—
The Arizona Republic, 22 July 2024
The night began with an interruption from Paperboy Prince, the activist and perennial gadfly candidate, who hijacked the stage wearing clown makeup and white gloves.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Lowe is a longtime Big Tech gadfly who pushed for antitrust action against Google for years in his previous role at Yelp.
—Ashley Gold, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
Also trailing on the ballot were Jack Potter and political gadfly Margaret Carrasco.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
The Arizona Republic, 22 July 2024
The night began with an interruption from Paperboy Prince, the activist and perennial gadfly candidate, who hijacked the stage wearing clown makeup and white gloves.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Lowe is a longtime Big Tech gadfly who pushed for antitrust action against Google for years in his previous role at Yelp.
—Ashley Gold, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
Also trailing on the ballot were Jack Potter and political gadfly Margaret Carrasco.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadfly
Noun
-
One player in particular, Nick Bosa, is serving as a welcome nuisance to get Purdy ready for this season.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
1 Aug. 2025
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If hosts are found to advertise as a party location or become a chronic nuisance to the neighborhood, Airbnb may remove the listing or force the host to update occupancy numbers.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The European starling is here to stay and continues to be a pest in North America.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Insects are part of a garden's ecosystem, and most of them are beneficial; only a tiny fraction are serious pests.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But 20 near the ware washing area crosses the line from annoyance to swarm.—
David J. Neal
August 1,
Miami Herald,
1 Aug. 2025
-
The president has attempted to tamp down questions about the case, expressing annoyance that people are still talking about it six years after Epstein's death.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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