: software that is installed in a computer or mobile device without the user's knowledge and that transmits information about the user's activities
Jan should scan her computer for viruses, worms, and spyware …—
Kenneth Baldauf and Ralph Stair
Kenneth Baldauf and Ralph StairSmartphones belonging to more than three dozen journalists, human rights activists, and business executives have been infected with powerful spyware that an Israeli firm sells, purportedly to catch terrorists and criminals, The Washington Post and other publications reported.—Dan Goodin
Dan GoodinExamples of spyware in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In rare cases, sophisticated spyware like Pegasus, used by governments to target high-profile individuals, can bypass even top-tier security.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2025
An investigative report from Lighthouse Reports claims that millions of two-factor authentication codes for services run by tech giants like Amazon, Google and Meta were being routed using Fink Telecom Services–which allegedly has links to the spyware industry.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Surveillance, not least of millions of Palestinians under occupation (and obliged to use Israeli phone systems), generated startups like the spyware firm NSO Group, which soon found clients in the Arab regimes.
—Karl Vick, Time, 19 June 2025
Much about the spyware company’s targets and clients remains unknown, in part because the firm refused to hand over evidence.
—Reuters, NBC news, 6 May 2025
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2025
An investigative report from Lighthouse Reports claims that millions of two-factor authentication codes for services run by tech giants like Amazon, Google and Meta were being routed using Fink Telecom Services–which allegedly has links to the spyware industry.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Surveillance, not least of millions of Palestinians under occupation (and obliged to use Israeli phone systems), generated startups like the spyware firm NSO Group, which soon found clients in the Arab regimes.
—Karl Vick, Time, 19 June 2025
Much about the spyware company’s targets and clients remains unknown, in part because the firm refused to hand over evidence.
—Reuters, NBC news, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spyware
Cite this Entry
“Spyware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spyware. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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