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
When Zeus took a liking to princess Io, Hera turned her into a heifer, then sent a gadfly – like a horse fly – to sting her constantly.
—
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025
Also trailing on the ballot were Jack Potter and political gadfly Margaret Carrasco.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Sliwa is many things: a seventy-year-old gadfly, a blowhard of the old school, and a New Yorker’s New Yorker.
—Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
This is an aberration of progressivism — the flip side of beleaguered social media gadfly Andy Ngo, the independent muckraker who exposes mainstream media’s protection of Antifa.
—Armond White, National Review, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025
Also trailing on the ballot were Jack Potter and political gadfly Margaret Carrasco.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Sliwa is many things: a seventy-year-old gadfly, a blowhard of the old school, and a New Yorker’s New Yorker.
—Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
This is an aberration of progressivism — the flip side of beleaguered social media gadfly Andy Ngo, the independent muckraker who exposes mainstream media’s protection of Antifa.
—Armond White, National Review, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadfly
Noun
-
At first, the un-washable Fisk murals are a nuisance to the new mayor, but there are ways to take advantage of the situation.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Some of the houses are abandoned and have become unsightly neighborhood nuisances.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Around 2,400 toads were released into the wild in 1935 in an attempt to rein in agricultural pests.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Need odor removal, moisture control, pest control, cleaning, or ice traction control?—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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John replied with annoyance, and the conversation ultimately ended with McCartney abruptly hanging up on him.—
Kim Willis,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
-
There’s no hint of the speaker’s apparent annoyance in this delightful, whip-smart number.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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