fly in the ointment
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.
There is a fly in the ointment of these historical averages, however — a big one.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
"The big fly in the ointment is sewage coming into the canal," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The human-headed fly in the ointment is the island itself, which is a supernatural smorgasbord, mostly quiet but waking up just in time to meet the visitors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
The only fly in the ointment might be what executives say about the rest of this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
The fly in the ointment was that there was too much work for Jet and not enough for me.
From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff
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