gadfly

The libertarian gadfly from Kentucky faces his toughest opponent in the president.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

Fleming, meanwhile, hasn’t had much to spend, and has always been somewhat of a gadfly going back to his years in the House of Representatives.

From Slate ● May 16, 2026

But, in a new case, one gadfly is barred from going to meetings altogether.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2025

For decades, he also relished his role as a brutally insulting critic — sometimes of the bands he worked with — and a gadfly who pushed uncomfortable buttons about race, politics and sex.

From New York Times ● May 14, 2024

And the suitors mad with fear at her great sign stampeded like stung cattle by a river when the dread shimmering gadfly strikes in summer, in the flowering season, in the long-drawn days.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

As is quite common for these kinds of third-party gadflies, Oliver has made a career out of running unsuccessfully in multiple federal elections.

From Slate ● Mar. 12, 2024

There are always third party gadflies in presidential races and they can have an effect.

From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2023

But aside from planners, developers and the gadflies who attend late night city council meetings, the average citizen regards it the way they regard their electric company or municipal water system.

From New York Times ● Aug. 26, 2021

But there’ll be scores — perhaps hundreds — of publicity seekers, gadflies and wannabe somebodies on the ballot to replace Newsom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2021

They flit around as social butterflies when they are gadflies to me.

From Tokyo to Tijuana: Gabriele Departing America by Steven (Steven David Justin) Sills