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
The fear was that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans or spread propaganda.
—
Todd Spangler, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
The regime’s supporters also engage in online spaces, and social media offers the state a way to spy on its subjects and punish any influencers who become too famous or subversive.
—Nahid Siamdoust, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The years when the federal government turned on its own citizens, corporations fired employees accused of subversion, and neighbors spied on neighbors had long since ended.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
The celebrities allege that the company illegally spied on them by hiring private investigators to hack their phones, bug their cars and access private records.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spy on
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Todd Spangler, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
The regime’s supporters also engage in online spaces, and social media offers the state a way to spy on its subjects and punish any influencers who become too famous or subversive.
—Nahid Siamdoust, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The years when the federal government turned on its own citizens, corporations fired employees accused of subversion, and neighbors spied on neighbors had long since ended.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
The celebrities allege that the company illegally spied on them by hiring private investigators to hack their phones, bug their cars and access private records.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spy on
Cite this Entry
“Spy on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spy%20on. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
