needle in a haystack

Idioms  

1. An item that is very hard or impossible to locate, as in Looking for that screw in Dean's workshop amounts to looking for a needle in a haystack. Originating in the early 1500s, with meadow instead of haystack, this metaphor exists in many other languages as well.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

needle in a haystack

"This isn't like detecting a needle in a haystack. It's like detecting a microscopic portion of a needle in a haystack," said Steven Manderach, executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

The process can take months for a single archaeological site and often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack.

From Science Daily ● May 11, 2026

While picking a big winner is like finding a proverbial needle in a haystack, it’s much easier than in 1926.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

“A needle in a haystack would be easier to find than a ring in this house,” he told the couple.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2024

They were looking for a needle in a haystack.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong