as in operatives
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
the government spy risked his life every day in the fight against global terrorism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in notices
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spies
Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Cianfrance supplies a real jerk of a manager in Peter Dinklage’s Mitch, on whom Jeffrey spies by setting up baby monitors in the back office.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Called Back in Action, the comedy action flick stars Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as a pair of married former CIA spies who are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, the de facto leader of a bunch of down-on-their-luck spies, will be back in Slough House for more adventures based on Mick Herron's series of books.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
In a March interview with the Standard, the actress urged the writing of more movies about real-life women spies in place of a female 007.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
In recent months, hackers of seemingly every stripe — cybercriminals, spies, researchers and corporate defenders alike — have started including AI tools into their work.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
The duo plays Emily and Matt, a married pair of ex-CIA spies forced out of retirement and back into the world of espionage after their secret identities are revealed.
—Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Cianfrance supplies a real jerk of a manager in Peter Dinklage’s Mitch, on whom Jeffrey spies by setting up baby monitors in the back office.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Called Back in Action, the comedy action flick stars Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as a pair of married former CIA spies who are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, the de facto leader of a bunch of down-on-their-luck spies, will be back in Slough House for more adventures based on Mick Herron's series of books.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
In a March interview with the Standard, the actress urged the writing of more movies about real-life women spies in place of a female 007.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
In recent months, hackers of seemingly every stripe — cybercriminals, spies, researchers and corporate defenders alike — have started including AI tools into their work.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
When Leo first spies the orphaned Josie singing on a Boston street corner, he’s struck by her resemblance to the Pendleton family, his father’s former employers and the victims of great tragedy when their baby was kidnapped in 1880.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spies
Noun
-
The report also detailed how its AI capabilities were being misused by North Korean operatives who used it to obtain remote jobs at tech companies.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
In September 2024, Israel blew up the group’s pagers, causing gruesome injuries as the devices detonated in Hezbollah operatives’ pockets.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The algorithm notices patterns and rewards reliable creators with better reach.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Watson notices Ringo’s loyalty in the smallest moments.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In the beginning of August, agents located a 38-foot center-console boat with three outboard engines behind a Dania Beach home.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
In the first week of January, Bovino sent 60 agents hundreds of miles to Bakersfield, California, to make 78 arrests at farms and businesses.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On Greenwich Street, Winters spots a Bernese mountain dog named Pepper.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The agency added that anyone in Maine who spots the lizard shouldn't approach the reptile; instead, contact the Old Town Police Department, so the animal can be captured safely.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Gitlab also now sees full-year revenue of between $936 million and $942 million, while analysts had estimated $941 million, per LSEG.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Without his braces, Butt-Head sees the world and himself in a whole new light.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spies. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share