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
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Recent Examples of spies
Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Desperate to learn what happened, the pair volunteers to become spies in Moscow themselves.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Unsurprisingly, the formula attracts the interest of politicians, spies, and international conspirators, all eager to exploit it for strategic or financial gain.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Just two good old-fashioned American spies, the Soviet Union, the Cold War and a lot of high jinks.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Rather than send the grieving widows back to the States, the head honchos decide to turn them into spies.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 13 Jan. 2026
The pair played former CIA spies.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
One of the most notorious spies in United States history, responsible for the arrest and eventual execution of numerous Soviet and Russian officials secretly working on behalf of the US intelligence community, has died at the age of 84.
—Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
These include restrictions on the Internet and social media and surveillance measures intended to root out spies and saboteurs.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
And when Clara spies her classmate Miller Adams (Mason Thames) along the roadside, and decides to give him a ride, the film introduces a next-generation complication-that-isn’t-really-one.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
One worker joined the FBI and made a career in counterintelligence, sniffing out Chinese spies.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Desperate to learn what happened, the pair volunteers to become spies in Moscow themselves.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Unsurprisingly, the formula attracts the interest of politicians, spies, and international conspirators, all eager to exploit it for strategic or financial gain.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Just two good old-fashioned American spies, the Soviet Union, the Cold War and a lot of high jinks.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Rather than send the grieving widows back to the States, the head honchos decide to turn them into spies.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 13 Jan. 2026
The pair played former CIA spies.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
One of the most notorious spies in United States history, responsible for the arrest and eventual execution of numerous Soviet and Russian officials secretly working on behalf of the US intelligence community, has died at the age of 84.
—Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
These include restrictions on the Internet and social media and surveillance measures intended to root out spies and saboteurs.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Verb
Alma peers through a keyhole and spies her mother (Susanne Wuest) standing before a candlelit shrine to the family’s dead.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
And when Clara spies her classmate Miller Adams (Mason Thames) along the roadside, and decides to give him a ride, the film introduces a next-generation complication-that-isn’t-really-one.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
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
-
Set against escalating Arctic ambitions by Russia and China, the story follows a Finnish family of operatives navigating military conflict, biological warfare, and global espionage as geopolitical tensions reach breaking point.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Game of Thrones alum stars alongside Haley Lu Richardson in the new Peacock thriller series, which follows Bea (Clarke) and Twila (Richardson), two widows of CIA agents who take their husbands' places in Moscow as CIA operatives.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, Dell notices the popularity of platforms that let people raise money, and the rise of the creator economy, where a person can be rewarded for putting their rawest self on display.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
One character, an undertaker, notices that death seems to have been suspended.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Widely circulated footage of the incident appears to show agents remove a gun from a scrum with Pretti before shots are fired.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Bovino claimed Jose Huerta-Chuma, who Border Patrol agents were targeting Saturday morning, had a criminal history that included domestic assault to intentionally inflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license.—
The Hill Staff,
The Hill,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Talarico’s numbers are notable and underscore the Senate Democratic primary will be hard-fought as the party eyes the chance to flip a Senate seat in the Lone Star State.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
2 Jan. 2026
-
However, if the governing body eyes a group of six or seven, Aledo could stay with the Dallas-Fort Worth teams, as the Bearcats are farther east than Weatherford and Granbury.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Enterprising group member Freddy (Delaney Quinn) spots the paperback Josh was reading in the trash bin, spattered in blood.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Their 4-3 win on Tuesday over the New York Rangers, a team that essentially waved the white flag last week, kept the Kings in a six-team mix for what could be three Western Conference spots up for grabs.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Opgenhaffen sees particular opportunity in modernizing the traditional South Asian eye look — updating the classic coal liner with plum shades and browns that can transition from day to evening.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Downs says maintenance issues are what his crew sees the most.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spies. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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