as in speck
a very small piece
surreptitiously removed a flyspeck of dirt from the china
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flyspeck
That’s a flyspeck in a galaxy that measures 100,000 light years across and a universe that is a staggering 94 billion light years.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Dec. 2022
Sooty blotch looks like a brown or black blotch on the fruit; sooty blotch, unlike flyspeck, will wipe off the fruit.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2022
Travelers jumping into the West Texas badlands from Mexico through Candelaria, a flyspeck village 50 miles up two-lane blacktop northwest of Presidio, might be deceived by the prevailing verdant quiet.
—Dudley Althaus, San Antonio Express-News, 26 June 2021
To those who grew up with Duncan in the U.S. Virgin Islands, their friend’s voyage from a picturesque flyspeck in the middle of the ocean to the basketball Hall of Fame was equal parts preordained and inconceivable.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 14 May 2021
But with a thousand islands scattered along their country’s jade-green Adriatic coast, from deserted flyspecks to hipster outposts, there’s no shortage of places to lick one’s wounds—or bask in silver-medal glory.
—Anja Mutić, WSJ, 19 July 2018
Compared to this, Comcast is a flyspeck, and Charter hasn’t even gotten started.
—David Dayen, The New Republic, 30 Apr. 2018
Amid these forces, Fed rate hikes are a relative flyspeck, says Doug Duncan, chief economist of Fannie Mae.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 14 June 2017
For a mere flyspeck, Bogoslof Island has been causing quite a commotion recently.
—Henry Fountain, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2016
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Dec. 2022
Sooty blotch looks like a brown or black blotch on the fruit; sooty blotch, unlike flyspeck, will wipe off the fruit.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2022
Travelers jumping into the West Texas badlands from Mexico through Candelaria, a flyspeck village 50 miles up two-lane blacktop northwest of Presidio, might be deceived by the prevailing verdant quiet.
—Dudley Althaus, San Antonio Express-News, 26 June 2021
To those who grew up with Duncan in the U.S. Virgin Islands, their friend’s voyage from a picturesque flyspeck in the middle of the ocean to the basketball Hall of Fame was equal parts preordained and inconceivable.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 14 May 2021
But with a thousand islands scattered along their country’s jade-green Adriatic coast, from deserted flyspecks to hipster outposts, there’s no shortage of places to lick one’s wounds—or bask in silver-medal glory.
—Anja Mutić, WSJ, 19 July 2018
Compared to this, Comcast is a flyspeck, and Charter hasn’t even gotten started.
—David Dayen, The New Republic, 30 Apr. 2018
Amid these forces, Fed rate hikes are a relative flyspeck, says Doug Duncan, chief economist of Fannie Mae.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 14 June 2017
For a mere flyspeck, Bogoslof Island has been causing quite a commotion recently.
—Henry Fountain, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flyspeck
Noun
-
Now the Mediterranean-style digs high above Malibu Canyon have popped up for sale, asking a speck under $13 million.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2025
-
You cant be expected to clean every speck of dust in every nook and cranny.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Made from 100 percent Donegal merino wool, the Finisterre Farne Women’s Crew Neck Knit Sweater comes in a choice of shades, all with subtle flecks of contrasting color.—
Jessica Macdonald,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Normally, landing a star of Dončić’s caliber at such a young age would take every fleck of gold in the safe.—
C. Clark, M. Vorkunov and F. Katz,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Everybody was a little bit like at the end of summer camp, although a bit too grown up for this to be true.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Yet the other major mystery of the series, surrounding the possible identity of Ruby Sunday’s mother, felt a little bit anticlimactic when she was unveiled, even though the thought process behind that storyline was touching.—
Scott Bryan,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These ejections refer to plasma erupting from the sun's surface, which can force particles from the sun and surrounding space to collide with particles in the Earth's atmosphere.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2025
-
This approach resembles an attempt to control every particle of an ecosystem, treating each team member merely as a cog in a complex machine.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Note 20 was last updated with a security patch in January.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Weed treatment can leave behind bare patches of soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Related article Move better and sidestep injury with the side lunge McGregor suggests other small changes, too, including eating vegetables several times a day, basing meals around whole grains and having a handful of nuts each day.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Controlling these near waters allowed Russia to disrupt Ukraine’s trade, especially the export of grain to African far waters.—
Colin Flint,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Then, toss in kitchen scraps such as banana peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and tea bags.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
-
But over the next nine episodes of season one, now airing on Netflix, the audience is fed scraps of truth about Danny’s professional and personal relationships with Xander.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The heartfelt track opens with a home video audio snippet of Uchis’ mother wishing her a good morning as the Colombian crooner serenades someone close to her in her life.—
Chris Malone Mendez,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Despite snippets of dialogue suggesting Nikki hasn’t always been reliable in the past, and meatier scenes acknowledging the emotional toll the situation is taking on her now, the bond never feels informed by complicated feelings, a long history or the possibility of change.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flyspeck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flyspeck. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share