needle

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.

What the Bangladesh protesters succeeded in doing was moving the needle.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Demographers are skeptical that subsidies can move the needle much against forces like high education costs, job insecurity, delayed marriage, and shifting gender norms.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

To visualize microscopic asbestos fibers in talcum powder, he brought a bale of hay into a courtroom and dropped a needle into the blades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Back in the lab, the cores were sliced into thin sections and analyzed with a highly sensitive magnetometer capable of detecting signals far weaker than a compass needle.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

She squinted at her needle and swept a place clear for me with one hand.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith