as in noticing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espying
Verb
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In practice, this means noticing the moment that your brain begins replaying an embarrassing scene and deliberately refusing to elaborate on it further.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026 -
How the Slurpee became an American staple The Slurpee traces its roots back to the 1960s, when businessman Omar Knedlik developed a machine that partially froze soft drinks after noticing customers enjoyed semi-frozen sodas at his Dairy Queen franchise in Kansas.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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As fans get more sophisticated about visual effects, and AI clips proliferate online, spotting VFX errors have become a bit of a online pastime (and, sometimes, a fake VFX shot turns out to be real after all).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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Buoyed by the technology boom, major indices like the Nasdaq Composite , the Russell 2000 and the S & P 500 have all risen sharply over the past month, but analysts are spotting fragility underneath the top lines.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Hiba imagined seeing snow for the first time and living in a cold state, such as Ohio.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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His absence led to Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan seeing elevated minutes, and both handled them well.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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By then, Jeffries was eying a run for Congress.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Either way, when the team reports for training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe in late July, Rodgers will run out with the starters with the goal of leading the Steelers back to the playoffs while eyeing the franchise’s first postseason victory in a decade.—
Will Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The head of a fish, cooked and glossy gray, emerges from a latticed crust, regarding the ceiling with an unnerving, dull-eyed serenity.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Now, if Edwards were to create a narrative regarding relocation, that would be a different story.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Espying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espying. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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