spy on
phrasal verb
spied on; spying on; spies on
: to watch (someone) secretly
He spies on his neighbors.
Have you been spying on me?
Examples of spy on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Founded in 1963 to monitor Black activism for the governor and legislature, the commission spied on civil rights workers and threatened their lives.
—
John M. Giggie / Made By History, TIME, 7 June 2024
The company says there is no evidence that the Chinese government has ever influenced what Americans see on the app, nor any proof that officials in China have spied on U.S. citizens through TikTok.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 2 June 2024
Sitting on the hotel’s deck overlooking the city's trees, all rusting into gold with the autumn, and spying on elephants at the zoo, the game of guessing at the backstories of your fellow travelers began in earnest.
—Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2024
Also, there are national security concerns: The U.S. Commerce Department has launched an investigation into whether Chinese vehicles’ navigation and communication features could spy on Americans.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2024
The measure stemmed from concerns raised by lawmakers and U.S. national security officials about TikTok and warnings that the Chinese government could use the app to spy on Americans or weaponize content to influence public opinion.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 14 May 2024
In supporting the legislation, U.S. lawmakers have cited fears that TikTok represents a national security threat, potentially giving the Chinese government a way to spy on Americans or push pro-China propaganda through the video app.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 7 May 2024
Prior to their arrest, the colonels spied on Zelenskyy and provided information to FSB on the presidential guard, as well as Zelenskyy’s movements.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 7 May 2024
The naval attaché, Gaston Cassar, had been sent to Salonica the year before, in 1939, to spy on Mussolini’s men in the Aegean Sea.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
John M. Giggie / Made By History, TIME, 7 June 2024
The company says there is no evidence that the Chinese government has ever influenced what Americans see on the app, nor any proof that officials in China have spied on U.S. citizens through TikTok.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 2 June 2024
Sitting on the hotel’s deck overlooking the city's trees, all rusting into gold with the autumn, and spying on elephants at the zoo, the game of guessing at the backstories of your fellow travelers began in earnest.
—Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2024
Also, there are national security concerns: The U.S. Commerce Department has launched an investigation into whether Chinese vehicles’ navigation and communication features could spy on Americans.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2024
The measure stemmed from concerns raised by lawmakers and U.S. national security officials about TikTok and warnings that the Chinese government could use the app to spy on Americans or weaponize content to influence public opinion.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 14 May 2024
In supporting the legislation, U.S. lawmakers have cited fears that TikTok represents a national security threat, potentially giving the Chinese government a way to spy on Americans or push pro-China propaganda through the video app.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 7 May 2024
Prior to their arrest, the colonels spied on Zelenskyy and provided information to FSB on the presidential guard, as well as Zelenskyy’s movements.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 7 May 2024
The naval attaché, Gaston Cassar, had been sent to Salonica the year before, in 1939, to spy on Mussolini’s men in the Aegean Sea.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spy on.' 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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Cite this Entry
“Spy on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spy%20on. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
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