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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Recent Examples of spied
In October, a resident of View Park-Windsor Hills, an unincorporated neighborhood in West Los Angeles, spied a man descending into a manhole and called police.
—
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Idling along the road one day for a lunch break, Campos spied someone building houses.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
The organization added that Stone spied Mo on the red carpet, posed for a few photos with the pup, and then decided the dog would be the perfect pet for her youngest son, Quinn.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
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
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Idling along the road one day for a lunch break, Campos spied someone building houses.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
The organization added that Stone spied Mo on the red carpet, posed for a few photos with the pup, and then decided the dog would be the perfect pet for her youngest son, Quinn.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spied
Verb
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The dramatic fading of this star, located around 3,200 light-years away in the Monoceros constellation, was first spotted at the end of 2024.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Simply being spotted around somebody discarding garbage on the ground can lead to a littering citation regardless of guilt.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Stamos-Buesig in turn noticed problems with the group’s bank records and contacted the district attorney’s office, according to both prosecutors and Stamos-Buesig.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
-
As many fans have noticed, Muffin and all of the kids in the show grow up over time.—
Miranda Rake,
Parents,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During the trial, jurors learned about grim Google searches Brian had made after his wife died, including how to saw a body and how to clean blood off of wood floors.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
18 Dec. 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 center sits along Richmond’s Marina Bay waterfront, an area eyed for residential and commercial growth that’s already flushed with people taking scenic strolls, walking their dogs or riding bikes.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Rumors of a second site being considered by DHS were confirmed when the leaders of Oakwood told outlets a property in their town was being eyed for a 1,500-bed detention center that would act as a processing facility for detainees before they are taken to Social Circle.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Often regarded as Egypt’s answer to Alfred Hitchcock, the great director Kamal al Sheikh was known for his noir-inflected, clear-eyed explorations of class.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Even Alphabet, which is widely regarded as the biggest AI winner in the group, is down 11% off a recent peak.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spied. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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