as in speck
a very small piece
surreptitiously removed a flyspeck of dirt from the china
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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
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
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
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Dec. 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flyspeck
Noun
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Then suddenly, every speck of pollen, dust and grime is impossible to ignore.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Apr. 2026
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Featuring bolder, thicker spots at the top and more refined, micro specks down the skirt, this mini dress makes all-day, fashionable wear easier than ever.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its design, crafted by Russell Sage Studio, is meant to be an on-the-nose reflection of the distillery's famed product, with bronzy walls the color of its single malt, and a ceiling painted to look like barley, reflecting the morning dew with flecks of gold throughout.—
Alessandra Amodio,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
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Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Shanahan said Height did a little bit of everything in college and will likely have multiple roles for the 49ers, comparing him to Byron Young and Jalon Walker, who played under new 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris with the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons, respectively.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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While the third season finale of Apple TV’s Shrinking felt decidedly like a series finale, the show will indeed be back for a fourth season, with the story moving just a little bit further down the road.—
Scott Huver,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Non-volatile Particulate Matter (nvPM) counters measured soot and black carbon particles, while volatile aerosol and trace-gas instruments (chemiluminescent NOₓ analyzers, hygrometers, thermometers) logged exhaust and ambient chemistry.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But in the quantum realm, randomness reigns; a particle comes with multiple quantum states, collapsing to just one of them in unpredictable ways.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That waiver allows existing routers to continue receiving updates that patch vulnerabilities, maintain functionality and ensure compatibility with operating systems.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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Their only view of the outside world is a patch of sky seen through a window four inches wide.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The latest is the surprise outside the building, against the grain even inside the building for a defensive coordinator who prefers long, bulky defensive ends.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
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Children ages 2–10 can explore a swine barn, garden, grain bin, and apple orchard while getting a hands-on glimpse into life on a working farm.—
Annika Trost,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Use Orange Peels as Compost Several fruit and vegetable scraps, including orange peels, can be added to your soil as compost.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Green ingredients are nitrogen-rich materials such as kitchen scraps and grass cuttings.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After filming the anticipated reunion, a snippet of an exchange among Ciara Miller, Westling Wilson and Amanda Batula was shared on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
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Record labels are doing this too, getting clippers to pair compelling video snippets with artists’ songs on places like TikTok, all in the hopes that the song is going to blow up.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flyspeck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flyspeck. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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