as in to notice
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
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Recent Examples of espy
The film’s comedy is built from a series of infinitesimal touches and chance intrusions, as when Édouard, espying Charles in the street, leaps from his seat at a sidewalk café and jostles a waiter bearing drinks.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024
Imprisoned by the Duke of Athens, the cousins espy the beautiful Emilia from their cell—and each man falls immediately in love.
—Andrea Mays, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
If a basket-hanger was espied by the recipient, the recipient would give chase and try to steal a kiss from the basket-hanger.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2024
Images taken from different realities, different spaces, times, places that have been sort of cut out and pasted together to create a new scene that depicts something that no human eye would ever have espied.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2023
Resentful 1970s émigrés were prodding the West to espy its true enemy not in communism, but in an irredeemable Russia.
—Ignat Solzhenitsyn, WSJ, 23 Oct. 2020
The cub tried to sneak up on him, but was quickly espied by the older lion.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 20 June 2019
For instance, visitors can scan through an electronic infographic for terrariums filled with camouflaging Gulf Coast toads, then head outside onto more than 2 miles of dirt and boardwalk trails to espy the bayou's flora and fauna.
—Beau Evans, NOLA.com, 6 Oct. 2017
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024
Imprisoned by the Duke of Athens, the cousins espy the beautiful Emilia from their cell—and each man falls immediately in love.
—Andrea Mays, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
If a basket-hanger was espied by the recipient, the recipient would give chase and try to steal a kiss from the basket-hanger.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2024
Images taken from different realities, different spaces, times, places that have been sort of cut out and pasted together to create a new scene that depicts something that no human eye would ever have espied.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2023
Resentful 1970s émigrés were prodding the West to espy its true enemy not in communism, but in an irredeemable Russia.
—Ignat Solzhenitsyn, WSJ, 23 Oct. 2020
The cub tried to sneak up on him, but was quickly espied by the older lion.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 20 June 2019
For instance, visitors can scan through an electronic infographic for terrariums filled with camouflaging Gulf Coast toads, then head outside onto more than 2 miles of dirt and boardwalk trails to espy the bayou's flora and fauna.
—Beau Evans, NOLA.com, 6 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espy
Verb
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Sports fans may notice a difference in the race calls this season as longtime announcer Trevor Denman announced his retirement in March.—
Kelley Carlson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
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Helping young people: Tribes seek foster care for kids in need, but strained resources lead some to group homes Manuel also noticed that many foster kids were hungry to learn about their cultural roots, which sparked another idea.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
4 July 2025
Verb
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What areas in Texas have flooded? Can't see our graphics?—
George Petras,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
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The third edition of this category sees four out of five honorees return, mainly owing to their outstanding portfolios and strength of service.—
Sarah Bruning,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Sydney Sweeney is head-to-toe in black as she is spotted in Venice for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding on June 27.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
1 July 2025
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Companies that want to retain talent need to get better at spotting burnout early.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Since then, the founders have been eyeing a big expansion in the United States.—
Simone Melvin,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
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The film is eyeing a late 2025 delivery with major festival berths in its sights.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Espy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espy. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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