Synonyms of spied

spied

verb

past tense of spy

as in spotted

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

• spotted
• noticed
• saw
• eyed
• regarded
• remarked
• viewed
• espied
• beheld
• watched
• noted
• observed
• looked (at)
• sighted
• caught
• witnessed
• discerned
• perceived
• distinguished
• descried
• identified
• laid eyes on
• set eyes on
• got a load of
• considered
• scanned
• marked
• picked out
• studied
• surveyed
• attended (to)
• inspected
• examined
• glimpsed
• made out
• scrutinized
• heeded
• glanced (at)
• picked up
• peered (at)
• minded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignored
• neglected
• disregarded
• passed over
• missed
• overlooked
• overpassed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spied

In the distance, the two ― both staffers of nondenominational Christian organization Cru ― spied a female avatar standing alone in the virtual hallway and decided to strike up a chat. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 26 July 2026

On one wall, the researchers spied what first appeared to be patches of dirt or debris on a mural; further scrutiny showed these were actually thin scraps of plaster that were inscribed with strange markings. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 13 July 2026

Houssem Aouar finally spied a gap in the Austrian defence and sent Mahrez through to score, sparking jubilation before Sasa Kalajdzic’s header confirmed a ridiculous ending to a game that was dramatic, bleak and then dramatic again. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Julius, along with Ruth and David Greenglass, had spied for the Soviet Union. — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026

Glimmers of this optimism could be spied in the FOMC’s statement, issued ahead of Warsh’s press conference. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 June 2026

There, golden bamboo is freshly planted, new curvilinear furniture is featured, high tea is served and Mount Fuji can be spied in the jaw-dropping panoramas on clear days. — Carrie Bell, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Except from one small group, who spied the women coming out of the pool and seemed to fix on them with special focus. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

More accolades followed, as Wyatt's steamy Bold entrance on a 2013 episode (being spied naked in an outdoor shower by Kim Matula's Hope Logan) announced a major new player in the soap's setting in the cutthroat Los Angeles fashion industry. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026