Synonyms of spies

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

• operatives
• agents
• assets
• informers
• moles
• spooks
• emissaries
• undercover agents
• secret agents
• undercovers
• couriers
• intelligencers
• infiltrators
• sleepers
• counterspies
• double agents
• spymasters
• stool pigeons
• superspies

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

• notices
• eyes
• spots
• sees
• regards
• witnesses
• sights
• espies
• watches
• looks (at)
• remarks
• notes
• views
• perceives
• observes
• discerns
• catches
• beholds
• distinguishes
• sets eyes on
• lays eyes on
• gets a load of
• descries
• identifies
• picks out
• considers
• scans
• attends (to)
• surveys
• glimpses
• studies
• minds
• inspects
• heeds
• scrutinizes
• marks
• makes out
• examines
• picks up
• peers (at)
• glances (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignores
• passes over
• neglects
• disregards
• misses
• overpasses
• overlooks

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spies

Noun

The federal indictment identifies instructions directing undercover Cuban spies not to fly with Brothers to the Rescue around the time of the attack. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

The Houthis had also been forcibly recruiting large numbers of children and Ethiopian migrants, using them as human shields, spies and for dangerous mine-planting. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 15 Oct. 2026

Aid workers are often held for months without charges, accused of being spies for the West or Israel, claims their families deny. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

In this week’s issue, Taub writes about living in such a fraught place, his encounters with jihadis, spies, con men, and fledgling reporters trying to prove themselves, and his brush with a possible abduction attempt. — Austin Elias-De Jesus, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026

The actor grew up immersed in the entertainment business as the son of one of Hollywood's most famous spies. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

In 2010, 11 deep-cover Russian spies were arrested across the United States, sending shockwaves around the globe. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Last year, Ken McCallum, MI5’s director-general, said Chinese spies poseda daily national security threat, and were creating fake job adverts to try to lure British professionals into handing over information. — CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

The Nazis had a lot of spies in Hungary, even though von Hatz wasn’t one of them. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

Verb

One morning at school, Frida spies bruises on Elia’s back and overhears her and Emmanuel talking about having been disciplined by their parents. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

Late one night, Clark spies what appears to be a sliver of light coming through a crack in the wall of the store’s basement. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026

In Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s The Finding of Moses, a dog spies a young girl whose presence unlocks the painting’s meaning. — Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026

In the 8-episode sci-fi adventure series premiering May 21, residents of a retirement community in New Mexico join forces after its newest occupant, widow Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina), spies a monstrous creature. — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 20 May 2026

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

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