How to Use a needle in a haystack in a Sentence

a needle in a haystack

noun phrase
  • Every piece is a needle in a haystack that makes no sense.
    — Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 19 Nov. 2022
  • Finding a sports bra that’s up to the task can feel like digging for a needle in a haystack.
    — Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, 7 Feb. 2024
  • Still, the door knocking can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
    — Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024
  • What could be harder than looking for a needle in a haystack?
    — Fox News, 8 July 2022
  • Tracking down the correct iPhone fix can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
    — Simon Hill, Wired, 16 Jan. 2022
  • But without much to go on, Conner said the search amounted to looking for a needle in a haystack.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 July 2023
  • Finding all of the must-sees in an enormous pile of skippable spots is, to be trite, like finding a needle in a haystack.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 12 June 2024
  • Finding the perfect pair of sneakers can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack.
    — Claire Harmeyer, PEOPLE.com, 29 July 2022
  • Middleburg is kind of a needle in a haystack, further from the city, not the most developed.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 29 July 2021
  • Getting on the same page as everyone else may feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
    — Chicago Tribune, 28 Dec. 2022
  • And so we’re hurled into the wilderness on this crazy mission to find this kidnapped young woman, a needle in a haystack.
    — Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 11 Sep. 2024
  • Finding a comfortable bra may feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
    — Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024
  • Finding a needle in a haystack is probably a lot easier than finding a patch of krill in the ocean.
    — Connor Lynch, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2022
  • But finding polar bear dens on the snowy, white, blustery tundra is a lot like finding a needle in a haystack.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Jan. 2023
  • Problem is, with so many styles to choose from, finding the right treatment for your home can be the design equivalent to a needle in a haystack.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2021
  • Normally, finding the brand's models on sale is like finding a needle in a haystack.
    — Talene Appleton, Men's Health, 6 July 2023
  • Then comes the scramble to try to understand what’s happening, which can feel like finding a needle in a haystack.
    — Aparna Dhinakaran, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2022
  • Lash glues can be quite finicky, and similarly to finding the right pair of lashes, pairing them with the right glue can be just as much of a needle in a haystack.
    — Lisa Desantis, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Hunting for a high-quality tank can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, but style bundlers can help clients sort through the bins.
    — Sofia Andrade, Washington Post, 29 July 2023
  • Finding a perfect nude lipstick can be like looking for a needle in a haystack (or, for those with darker skin, like looking for a piece of hay in a needlestack).
    — Gabi Thorne, Allure, 18 Oct. 2023
  • The quest often feels like looking for a needle in a haystack, or, in this case, a counter-depth refrigerator in a New Jersey strip mall.
    — Ronda Kaysen New York Times, Star Tribune, 28 May 2021
  • Shopping for skincare products meant for mature skin can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
    — Daley Quinn, Good Housekeeping, 13 July 2021
  • In what country did a radioactive capsule recently go missing which sparked what was called a search for a needle in a haystack?
    — CNN, 2 Feb. 2023
  • Bivens defended law enforcement’s actions during the search and compared it to trying to find a needle in a haystack.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023
  • Szabo says finding one of these potential impactors is still like finding a needle in a haystack.
    — Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
  • Picking a mattress that’s both supportive and comfortable can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
    — Arielle Tschinkel, USA TODAY, 6 July 2021
  • Finding a pair of shoes that look good and, most importantly, feel good can be like finding a needle in a haystack — leading you to sacrifice one for the other.
    — Ali Faccenda, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Rather than the current drug development paradigm of searching for a needle in a haystack, our approach brushes the haystack aside to reveal the needle.
    — Christina Lopes, STAT, 16 June 2023
  • Finding a bag that can hold your daily essentials is tricky enough — and finding a handbag that's functional yet stylish can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
    — Brittany Vanderbill, PEOPLE.com, 15 July 2022
  • Trying to identify mentally ill shooters through health screening is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
    — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a needle in a haystack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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