SPIES Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

spies 1 of 2

noun

plural of spy

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

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spies

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spy

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

Noun

Santat’s illustrations begin with straightforward, muted sincerity and become brighter, busier, and more gleeful—filling every corner of the page—as Sharpson’s narrator becomes ever more unhinged, ranting about fish spies, fish disguises, and fish taking over the world. —

Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 The furry white marsupials, which waddle back into remote areas — places where humans would not otherwise set foot — are almost like spies penetrating the secret lives of pythons. —

Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026 The technology will speed up the process of analyzing vast amounts of information gathered by human spies and their tools. —

Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 17 Apr. 2026 Our spies tell us that the 2028 Lamborghini Temerario Spyder will debut some time in 2027. —

Byron Hurd, The Drive, 16 Apr. 2026 The pair, who were arrested in May 2022 while visiting Iran, were accused by Iranian state television of being spies who sought to stir up unrest, according to Reuters. —

Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026 One is set in a walled village after a catastrophe, the other focuses on spies who want to destroy us. —

Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026 The spies called it right, but the president went another direction. —

Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026 Once Winslow passes away, Roger frantically looks around through dust and explosions, and spies the boy passed out with his drum. —

Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026

Verb

When Claire and Frank retreat to Inverness on holiday following the end of WWII, Frank spies the spectre of a Highlander staring up into Claire's window that abruptly vanishes. —

Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026 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

His former clients include the political operatives Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro.

— Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
Every other California gubernatorial candidate is left to fight over the scraps, while voters and some political operatives have a dim view of the remaining field.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026