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
In this and other accounts of the conspiracy candidate and gadfly candidate, the picture that emerges is that of a consummate opportunist who wants to turn his Uncle Jack’s famous words on their head; what, RFK Jr. asks, can this country do for him?
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2024
Political tumult in Arizona opened a path for a perennial election gadfly with anti-government leanings to win the governor’s race in 1986.
—Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 24 July 2024
Nobody came forward to oppose her (except perhaps Sen. Joe Manchin, who isn’t even a Democrat, and gadfly Marianne Williamson).
—Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 22 July 2024
Weizman was a gadfly in the worlds of art and architecture.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for gadfly 
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2024
Political tumult in Arizona opened a path for a perennial election gadfly with anti-government leanings to win the governor’s race in 1986.
—Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 24 July 2024
Nobody came forward to oppose her (except perhaps Sen. Joe Manchin, who isn’t even a Democrat, and gadfly Marianne Williamson).
—Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 22 July 2024
Weizman was a gadfly in the worlds of art and architecture.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for gadfly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadfly
Noun
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In journalism circles, Mezrich is known as one of the great nuisances of modern nonfiction — a man who has built his career making things up.Simon van Zuylen-Wood, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
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The county contends the plastic pollution traced to products made by the companies constitutes a public nuisance that they must be forced to redress.Nate Raymond, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Common Pests & Plant Diseases Insect pests of camellias include tea scales and aphids, both of which produce a waste product called honeydew that encourages sooty mold to grow on the foliage.Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
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Seventy years later, our arsenal for controlling pests has grown and diversified.Salama Udaipurwala, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Retzlaff has also taken to social media to share his annoyance about the situation.David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
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Expressing dismay that some of her more exciting stories were cut, her grandchildren weren’t mentioned, and the allure of her magazines wasn’t touched upon, Stewart expressed her annoyance that her prison sentence got so much attention.Chloe Berger, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near gadfly
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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