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flypaper
noun
fly·pa·per
ˈflī-ˌpā-pər
: paper coated with a sticky often poisonous substance for killing flies
Examples of flypaper in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One defense, beginning in the late eighteen-hundreds, was flypaper, sheets of which were coated on one side with an oleaginous substance that lured flies, then permanently trapped them.
—David Owen, The New Yorker, 27 July 2024
In 1923, according to the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper and other accounts, one patient got into a disagreement with a younger guard who taunted him and covered his mouth with sticky flypaper.
—Donna M. Owens, NBC News, 24 Jan. 2024
For liberals, however, the idea is flypaper for falsehoods.
—Rhoda Feng, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2023
Lesser known than other carnivorous plants, the butterwort is the flypaper of the carnivorous plant world.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2021
See all Example Sentences for flypaper
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flypaper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1846, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to flypaper
Dictionary Entries Near flypaper
Cite this Entry
“Flypaper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flypaper. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
flypaper
noun
fly·pa·per
-ˌpā-pər
: paper coated with a sticky often poisonous substance for killing flies
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