haystack

[hey-stak] / ˈheɪˌstæk /

NOUN

stack of hay

Synonyms

STRONG

hay haycock hayrick pile rick sheaf stack

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.

It’s quickly resembling a small number of needles in a big haystack.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Maven was built to find the needle in the haystack.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Clough added, "As microplastic researchers looking for microplastics in the environment, we're searching for the needle in the haystack, but there really shouldn't be a needle to begin with."

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

While these types of exhibitions are often an exercise in hunting for an aesthetic needle in a mind-numbing haystack, the quality here is surprisingly consistent with happy discoveries around almost every corner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

By navigating there through fog, snow, and winter seas, Worsley had found the needle in the haystack.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong