Idiom:  a needle in a haystack

Image of a cartoon boy searching for a needle in a huge stack of hay, illustrating the meaning of the idiom that "a needle in a haystack" is something that's very difficult to find.

Meaning

Idiom:  a needle in a haystack

  • something that is very difficult to find (especially because the area you have to search is so large)


Example sentences

— I looked everywhere for my earring at the beach but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

— We've been looking for an apartment in Geneva for six weeks and it's like finding a needle in a haystack.

— We honestly spent two hours looking for you at the music festival but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

— There's an error somewhere in our sales log and it's a needle in a haystack. We can't find it.

— Rescue teams searched the canyon for three days but locating the missing hikers was like finding a needle in a haystack.

— Your basement is a mess! Finding your high school yearbook will be like locating a needle in a haystack.

— I wasn't able to find my spare key. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack so I'll just have a duplicate key made tomorrow.

— Yesterday I searched for my lost earing again. I didn't find it. It's like a needle in a haystack.


Synonyms

  • turn a place upside down (to find something)
  • turn a place inside out (to find something)
  • go on a wild goose chase
  • leave no stone unturned


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