as in noticed
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
out of the corner of my eye I espied the squirrel making another raid on the bird feeder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espied
Verb
-
In January, Oakland Zoo noticed that Lola had developed a limp on her right front paw.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
19 Mar. 2026 -
The no-frills vibe makes sense for an industry of trade workers who aren’t used to getting noticed.—
Calin Van Paris,
Outside,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officials advise people with pets in areas where the lizard has been spotted to keep a close eye out for their animals.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Directors and power couple Barry Jenkins and Lulu Wang were also spotted on the carpet, as was artist Tove Lo.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ruggeri says that, in comparison to saw palmetto, which gets far more attention.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
19 Feb. 2026
-
During the trial, jurors learned about grim Google searches Brian had made after his wife died, including how to saw a body and how to clean blood off of wood floors.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But the starters and reserves at pass rusher are being eyed suspiciously at this early point of the offseason.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
-
At this stage of his career, Jones should be eyed as a third-down back in a committee.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The first season holds a 96% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is widely regarded as a strong contender for this year’s Emmy Awards.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Beck, who was projected to be a top pick before the 2024 season, is not as highly regarded after his past two seasons.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Espied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espied. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
