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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spied
Upon arriving at the James Madison University campus in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains in 1999, Jeff Bourne spied a 12,500-seat football stadium on a campus that only started playing the sport a little more than 25 years earlier.
—
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Where skeptics spied a bubble, the revolution’s leaders saw the dawn of a new era of abundance.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
The real story of Barbie’s origins is much messier, and more interesting—especially as told in Barbieland, Tarpley Hitt’s rollicking tale of how Mattel spied, copied and stole its way to market dominance, then fought with military intensity to compel us to buy more and more.
—Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
The origin story has it that in 1953 Ernie Blake, a Swiss-German transplant, flew in a little four-seater over northern New Mexico, spied the epic possibility in a steep, north-facing slope, then set to work, clearing and constructing his idea of a perfect ski mountain.
—Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
McCann spied an errant pumpkin.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The relative then spied a dead dog on an interstate nearby, and assumed the canine was Randy since both dogs had the same shading.
—Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
Astronomers spied the bare black hole using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — a mega-instrument built by NASA and its partners in part to reveal how galaxies formed during the universe’s first billion years.
—Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
In concert with the premature switching off of sets, Bills fans were spied filing out of Highmark Stadium shortly after Henry seemingly put the game out of reach.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Where skeptics spied a bubble, the revolution’s leaders saw the dawn of a new era of abundance.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
The real story of Barbie’s origins is much messier, and more interesting—especially as told in Barbieland, Tarpley Hitt’s rollicking tale of how Mattel spied, copied and stole its way to market dominance, then fought with military intensity to compel us to buy more and more.
—Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
The origin story has it that in 1953 Ernie Blake, a Swiss-German transplant, flew in a little four-seater over northern New Mexico, spied the epic possibility in a steep, north-facing slope, then set to work, clearing and constructing his idea of a perfect ski mountain.
—Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
McCann spied an errant pumpkin.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The relative then spied a dead dog on an interstate nearby, and assumed the canine was Randy since both dogs had the same shading.
—Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
Astronomers spied the bare black hole using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — a mega-instrument built by NASA and its partners in part to reveal how galaxies formed during the universe’s first billion years.
—Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
In concert with the premature switching off of sets, Bills fans were spied filing out of Highmark Stadium shortly after Henry seemingly put the game out of reach.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spied
Verb
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The individuals were then spotted by security cameras attempting to leave through an emergency exit door while carrying numerous bags, before suddenly pivoting toward a flight of stairs and running up to the floor above.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
But many fans had spotted this willingness to put a foot in in pre-season, particularly in the friendly against Real Sociedad’s Basque rivals Athletic Club, when the 26-year-old made a game-high four tackles (one of which was made after he had been nutmegged).—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But when testing the bespoke shots in animals, Grippin noticed that even the placebo shots — which contained mRNA entirely unrelated to the cancer — also activated the immune system to kill tumors.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
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And it certainly can be noticed, both in its abundance, and in the case of the Warriors’ 129-104 shellacking on Friday night at the hands of the Nuggets in an Emirates Cup group stage matchup, in its absence.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The trees were cut down, sawed in half, hollowed out and tied back together for the musicians to use.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
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Fanatics shared the moment Tennessee Titans first overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward, saw Brady pop up on the screen to give him some wise words.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The issue resonates not only at the AU, but in Ethiopia itself, which has long eyed Somaliland’s ports as a strategic outlet for the landlocked country.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Trump likes symbolic dates as well, and originally had eyed the period around Christmas for the assault.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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He also is regarded as one of the inventors of the butterfly style of goaltending, later adopted by some of the greatest to play the position.—
Chris Kuc,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Since González López assumed his new role, at least 14 senior figures associated with Marcano Tábata have disappeared, according to sources, including generals regarded as essential to the Honor Guard’s brigade-level command and operational continuity.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spied. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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