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
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
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
Like any gadfly, Kennedy’s willingness to challenge institutions and conventional wisdom has sometimes led him to question things that needed questioning, not least during the Covid era’s riot of hubris and deceit in the public health sector.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
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
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
Like any gadfly, Kennedy’s willingness to challenge institutions and conventional wisdom has sometimes led him to question things that needed questioning, not least during the Covid era’s riot of hubris and deceit in the public health sector.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadfly
Noun
-
The city’s multidisciplinary public task force, established in August 2023, was formed to investigate businesses and properties that have public safety concerns and city ordinance violations like nuisances and municipal offenses.—
PJ Green
July 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 July 2025
-
There is also an AI consultant… who probably would have come in handy last season dealing with the artificial intelligence nuisances that were Ainsley and Jankie.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
According to Orkin, the pest control company, scorpions come indoors in search of food.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
-
Using a mosquito 'bucket of doom' is much cheaper than getting a pest control service to come fog or spray your yard.—
Elliott Harrell,
Southern Living,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Most concerning: The Royals’ lineup is far past the point of frustration and teetering toward pure annoyance for those at The K. Here is how Saturday’s scenario played out.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 July 2025
-
Don’t think, just play Despite its minor annoyances, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 lives up to the hype and should be a day-one treat for gamers worldwide.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadfly. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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