gadfly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A gadfly candidate for mayor of Chicago, Lar Daly, secured a quirky FCC ruling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

That’s because in Austin, Harrison is viewed as a gadfly, with few legislative victories or allies.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2025

The publication was founded in 1955 by the legendary gadfly William F. Buckley Jr. as a salon for the various right-leaning fraternities in American life: fire-eating libertarians, orthodox Catholics, conspiratorial anti-communists.

From Slate • Apr. 25, 2025

You know that gadfly Lady Whistledown’s voice is none other than that of Dame Julie Andrews.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2024

Concluding that economics, not politics, held the key to black success in America, Moore started a new career as a corporate gadfly, disrupting stockholders' meetings with pointed questions about racial policies and hiring practices.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson