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REFERENCE

needle in a haystack

idiom
Meaning

Something that is difficult or impossible to locate.


Examples
SIMPLE

Finding my lost key is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

CONTEXTUAL

Searching for one specific document in this messy office is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

COMPLEX

The detective realized that searching for a single piece of evidence in the vast, ruined landscape was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Anchors to
Related idioms6entries
  1. 01

    camel through the eye of a needle

    Hyperbole to illustrate something that is impossible to do or to make happen.

  2. 02

    move the needle

    To change a situation to a noticeable degree; to make an appreciable difference.

  3. 03

    needle drop

    A digital copy of a vinyl record

  4. 04

    needle mover

    A factor which noticeably influences a performance.

  5. 05

    peg the needle

    To achieve the maximum level of something, to max out, to pull out all the stops.

  6. 06

    thread the needle

    To perform a tedious task with extreme precision; to manage to find harmony or strike a balance between conflicting forces, interests, etc.

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