as in operative
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
the government spy risked his life every day in the fight against global terrorism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to spot
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I spy a motel off in the distance, so let's spend the night there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spy
Denise Petski, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
Despite lots of law enforcement, the spy is shot and seriously injured in the first pages of this exciting plot, and Davenport cannot figure out how the shooter knew when and where the transfer would happen.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
Battle also alleges that Rojas asked him to spy for her by tracking when Dear’s girlfriend or wife would leave.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spy
Noun
Byunghun and Jimin will play the undercover spies.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
Despite lots of law enforcement, the spy is shot and seriously injured in the first pages of this exciting plot, and Davenport cannot figure out how the shooter knew when and where the transfer would happen.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
My job, bluntly, was to spy, but to do it in a way that wasn’t baldly obvious either.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
Battle also alleges that Rojas asked him to spy for her by tracking when Dear’s girlfriend or wife would leave.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spy
Noun
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The man who crashed an explosive-laden truck into a Michigan synagogue where scores of children were at daycare acted as an operative of Hezbollah, the foreign terrorist organization based in Lebanon, federal officials said March 30.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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An operative would normally plan to walk alone to a hotel room to avoid being seen with an asset.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were spotted in terminals, including at Philadelphia International Airport, where a protester was seen at one of the checkpoints holding a sign criticizing ICE.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Liaw was arrested last week, but not before he was spotted posing for a picture with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The pair are chaos agents who, in conferring the benefit of sudden wealth, lure the recipients into corruption.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Registered agents can handle paperwork, often shielding the identities of those behind the entities.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bessent, who made a similar trip to Texas ahead of the Senate primary, is eyeing additional visits in the run-up to the midterm elections.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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The latest move shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise, Meta was already eyeing the existing market of billions of people with imperfect eyesight.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Chee goes further undercover.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
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Sources close to production reveal his character is working undercover.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even her 8-year-old daughter has noticed the impact on the family's spending.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Increasingly, human resources departments noticed that applicants used the résumé to tell white lies, and even bigger fibs, listing fictitious degrees, fake promotions and other embellishments.—
Stephen Mihm,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Enmoladas are similar to enchiladas, but sauced with mole.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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One style of corporate security is a bit like playing whac-a-mole.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Melanie Benesh from the Environmental Working Group, which has worked closely with Gabriel throughout the years on his legislation, said if the bill were to be passed, shoppers could see the seals on breads, yogurts, snacks and cereals.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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The Current did not call upon any of Croix Bethune, Debinha, Lo LaBonta, Michelle Cooper, and Ellie Bravo-Young in the starting lineup, as Armas opted for rotation given a road trip that sees KC play three games in seven days.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spy. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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