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.
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Recent Examples of spies
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
The events occurred in and around the lawless border of Venezuela and Colombia, where spies, smugglers and gun runners rub shoulders and distrust their own shadow.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Now in its fifth season, the Apple TV drama follows a gang of screw-up spies who are nobody’s idea of the Avengers, led by Gary Oldman’s irascible, flatulent Jackson Lamb.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The two professions are intimately linked, with both spies and explorers illuminating the unknown.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
But the show’s dangers aren’t limited to supernatural creatures—sinister scientists, Soviet spies, and government cover-ups all loom large.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Duplicity, directed by Tony Gilroy, follows two corporate spies, Claire (Roberts) and Ray (Owen), who become embroiled in a clandestine love affair.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Surrounded by spies, at odds with his colleagues, forced to proceed by stealth in a second language and an unfamiliar culture, Franklin had difficulties enough without having to hear of his son’s Loyalist activities.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
While on assignment, CIA Case Officer Erica Ambler (Biel) suffers a devastating injury, waking up without her memories in custody at a supermax prison for the world’s deadliest spies.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 8 Oct. 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
We were supposed to be spies with hats.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
The events occurred in and around the lawless border of Venezuela and Colombia, where spies, smugglers and gun runners rub shoulders and distrust their own shadow.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Now in its fifth season, the Apple TV drama follows a gang of screw-up spies who are nobody’s idea of the Avengers, led by Gary Oldman’s irascible, flatulent Jackson Lamb.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The two professions are intimately linked, with both spies and explorers illuminating the unknown.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
But the show’s dangers aren’t limited to supernatural creatures—sinister scientists, Soviet spies, and government cover-ups all loom large.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Duplicity, directed by Tony Gilroy, follows two corporate spies, Claire (Roberts) and Ray (Owen), who become embroiled in a clandestine love affair.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Surrounded by spies, at odds with his colleagues, forced to proceed by stealth in a second language and an unfamiliar culture, Franklin had difficulties enough without having to hear of his son’s Loyalist activities.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
While on assignment, CIA Case Officer Erica Ambler (Biel) suffers a devastating injury, waking up without her memories in custody at a supermax prison for the world’s deadliest spies.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 8 Oct. 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
-
Khanna’s public statements haven’t stopped pro-China operatives from targeting him in their influence operations, however.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Everyone was deemed an armed terrorist, on par with the depictions of Al Qaeda operatives in Afghan caves, and thus the face of a minister for youth and sports could be plastered with a red X on Israel’s official government channels, the same as Osama bin Laden’s.—
Séamus Malekafzali,
Washington Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Later, after showing Joe how to work the Jet Ski crane, Nathan gets hit in the face by the hook — at the same time that Max notices that another Jet Ski has floated away and runs to get it.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Baer also notices her clients gravitate toward pieces that feel human and grounded.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Polls show that economic impacts are driving the voting bloc the most and Latino businesses across the country, from Miami to Los Angeles, are seeing a drop in foot traffic because of ICE agents targeting their communities.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But in 1991, federal agents charged him with lying and continuing to traffic drugs.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
For the Colts, the injury is a massive loss as the team eyes a playoff spot.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As a train barrels toward her near the final moments of the video, Perry spots a daisy on the tracks — seemingly a nod to her daughter — and dodges disaster.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Rene Lima, a grower in Chicago who is set to inaugurate a cannabis education platform for Spanish-speaking seniors, spots a clear and promising pathway for DEI.—
Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Every time a customer pays with a credit card, 2 to 4 percent of that sale is siphoned off before a business ever sees the money.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Qu said the company sees it as a hobby-grade product aimed at users who want a closer approximation of real piloting.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spies. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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