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
Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The spies called it right, but the president went another direction.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
The first part of this book is a police procedural with Dawkins and his partner Rook trying to catch the spies.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 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
If you were caught in one of these zones, the government could also now prosecute you for breaking federal laws, including one enacted in 1909 to keep spies away from arsenals.
—Agnel Philip, ProPublica, 2 Apr. 2026
Before 9/11, Iran’s nuclear ambitions had been a relatively low priority for American spies.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Shiwa Hassanpour, an activist with the human rights monitor Hengaw Organization, based in Iraq’s Kurdish region, said people have been shot for approaching the border, because Iranian forces suspect them of being spies or informants.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Residents of Tehran, the Iranian capital, say they are exhausted by the bombs that have battered their city on a daily basis and terrified of the security checkpoints that have popped up looking for spies.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
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
The spies called it right, but the president went another direction.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
The first part of this book is a police procedural with Dawkins and his partner Rook trying to catch the spies.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 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
If you were caught in one of these zones, the government could also now prosecute you for breaking federal laws, including one enacted in 1909 to keep spies away from arsenals.
—Agnel Philip, ProPublica, 2 Apr. 2026
Before 9/11, Iran’s nuclear ambitions had been a relatively low priority for American spies.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Shiwa Hassanpour, an activist with the human rights monitor Hengaw Organization, based in Iraq’s Kurdish region, said people have been shot for approaching the border, because Iranian forces suspect them of being spies or informants.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Residents of Tehran, the Iranian capital, say they are exhausted by the bombs that have battered their city on a daily basis and terrified of the security checkpoints that have popped up looking for spies.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 28 Mar. 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
-
Israel claims to have killed hundreds of Hezbollah operatives in the latest bombardment and ground invasion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Apr. 2026
-
One of the officials said the March 3 drone strike that hit the tanker was launched by Ukrainian operatives in a military facility in Tripoli.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The breach raises new questions about how long attackers can remain inside critical healthcare systems before anyone notices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Former Arizona guard Matt Muehlebach notices similarities during games.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Stricter rules were imposed on documentation required for sponsors, border agents started pressuring unaccompanied children to self-deport before transferring them to shelters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement started arresting some sponsors in the middle of the release process.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Following the deadly shooting of two Americans by immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year, congressional Democrats have opposed funding ICE and CBP without policy changes, but the two parties have been unable to reach an agreement on reforms.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The hiring spree comes as the company shifts more aggressively toward enterprise sales and tries to regain momentum against Anthropic and Google, and as the company eyes a possible IPO within the next 12 months.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Subsequently, the filmmaker became enamored with airplanes and transferred that same fascination onto Lil Ant, who eyes the planes overhead with palpable yearning and, at one point, shoplifts a toy plane from a store.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On the first day of high school, introverted Okuto Nakumara spots his classmate Aiki Hirose in the crowd of an assembly, and immediately falls head over heels for him.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In the clip, posted by Juls Piles (@julspiles), the 21-year-old can be seen swimming away from a boat to retrieve her floatie in the sea, when her brother suddenly spots a shark in the water.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The spa There’s no spa, but the on-site fitness room has weights, yoga mats, treadmills, and a Peloton bike that sees regular use.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Marcus sees herself taking the pill long term, with a goal of losing around 30 pounds.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spies. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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