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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espying
Verb
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After noticing a problem, keepers separated the mother from her newborn, who weighed just 443 grams (less than a pound) and required immediate placement in an incubator at CIMBA to stabilize his temperature and safeguard his health, Reynoso Ruiz said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026 -
The days of people noticing pregnant women on the subway are largely over.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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New Jersey continued the good relations by spotting the B’s the first four goals of the game in the first period.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
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Nothing can be more startling than spotting a bear on a hiking trail or worse – in your neighborhood.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Public school districts in Texas are almost one school year into the first statewide cellphone ban, and a North Texas school district is seeing positive impacts.—
Lacey Beasley,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Why more Sacramento residents are seeking evaluation As public awareness changes, individuals who were formerly written off as chaotic, fragile, strange or unstable are now seeing those outdated stories from a contemporary perspective.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Once the party ends and the hard work resumes, the production sector will be eyeing potential changes under Magyar.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
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Pritzker, a billionaire Hyatt Hotels heir seeking a rare third term as governor in November and eyeing a bid for the White House in 2028, made two contributions to Illinois Future PAC totaling $5 million in late February and early March, according to Federal Election Commission records.—
Dan Petrella,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Police have not confirmed any details regarding the incident at this time.—
Naomi Ruchim,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The team hopes the aircraft, beyond providing insight into wartime aviation, will impart wisdom regarding the real consequences of war during this time of global unrest.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Espying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espying. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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