as in dwarf
a person of no importance or influence
the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names
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Recent Examples of insect
Spotting a fungus or an insect is more challenging than locating a weed, and the company needs some technical improvements to be able to automatically eliminate those problems in the field.
—
Tyler Jett, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
That includes agricultural pests and disease-carrying insects like flies and mosquitoes.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Keeping your deck free of pollen, nests, insects will increase its longevity.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 14 Apr. 2026
Researchers also had volunteers plant the same flowers in backyards, schoolyards, and public spaces and track pollinator insects.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insect
Tyler Jett, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
That includes agricultural pests and disease-carrying insects like flies and mosquitoes.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Keeping your deck free of pollen, nests, insects will increase its longevity.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 14 Apr. 2026
Researchers also had volunteers plant the same flowers in backyards, schoolyards, and public spaces and track pollinator insects.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insect
Noun
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For example, a dwarf galaxy in isolation might need as long as 14 billion years — essentially the age of the universe — to fully reach its stable form.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Look for taller varieties and avoid dwarfs.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
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The still-unidentified Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, frequently sent threats, demands and ciphers to multiple local papers — namely the San Francisco Chronicle.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After all, why listen to a podcast with two nobodies co-hosting when a listener can get an hour from a familiar celebrity.—
Frank Racioppi,
Forbes.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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Seattle’s John Schneider and New England’s Eliot Wolf rose up from young nobodies to graduate from Green Bay Packers University, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Its multipurpose formula preps and hydrates skin using a cream-to-gel formula that’s lightweight and won’t leave behind a greasy residue.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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The lightweight, handheld device came preloaded with a 100-exposure roll of Kodak black-and-white film.—
Marcia Greenwood,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Still just missing that big hit to put some of these crooked numbers up there.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Tidy your payment app to see numbers without dread and choose calm reactions.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insect. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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