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
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
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
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 Americans stars Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell as Soveit spies posing as an American family during the Cold War.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
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
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
-
In between, Court follows the threats aimed at security experts and intelligence operatives across the globe.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
-
His espionage thriller Lioness, which stars Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña as CIA operatives, is in production on its third season.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the footage, the person approaches the front door, notices the camera and tries to cover the lens with their hand.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Hart also shared that staying hydrated has been a challenge for her over the years, joking that her husband, musician Mark Wilkerson, notices her dislike for drinking water.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Confrontations involving federal agents have routinely been captured on video from multiple angles, which later served to discount parts of the government’s narrative of events.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Democrats demanded new restrictions on federal immigration agents in exchange for voting to fund DHS after Alex Pretti was killed last month in Minneapolis.—
Riley Beggin,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
The start is determined by a moon sighting committee in Saudi Arabia, and Ramadan begins the day after the committee spots the new crescent moon.—
Marina Johnson,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
-
For the first time, Anthropic spent millions of dollars on several satiric Super Bowl spots.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Aïnouz sees this partnership as a win-win, as having stars attached to his films means more people will watch them.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2026
-
India — the world’s most populous nation and one of the fastest-growing digital markets — sees the summit as an opportunity to project itself as a bridge between advanced economies and the Global South.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spies. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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