1
as in spy
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
Russia recalled its spooks after the collapse of the Soviet Union
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
Halloween is the night when spooks and goblins are said to roam abroad
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spook
Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The escalating trade war spooked Wall Street once again Friday morning, as futures dipped more than 2 percent on the news.
—Sj Staff, Sourcing Journal, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Cambridge math dons, government spooks, think-tankers, Iraqi archeologists: Of course they’re all caught up in a plot to save or destroy the world.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
The action star may be used to the gore as a veteran of the horror genre, but even he gets spooked out by his own projects.
—Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The escalating trade war spooked Wall Street once again Friday morning, as futures dipped more than 2 percent on the news.
—Sj Staff, Sourcing Journal, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
-
Cassian is now a secret spy for the budding Rebel Alliance.—
Fidel Martinez,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The payloads included a South Korean military radar spy satellite, a small commercial weather satellite, and the most interesting payload: an experimental reentry vehicle from a German startup named Atmos Space Cargo.—
Abigail Bassett,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His voice is the ghost in the machine, a strangely humane presence amid all the urban-industrial pastoral.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
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In the epic fifth and final season, Joe Goldberg returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after… until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The king of the forest was once frightened by the sound of a bull.—
John Nemec,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025
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The prospect of returning to the role, first for a West End reprise in February and then for the Brooklyn performance frightened her.—
Alexis Soloski,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Still, Democratic operatives say the optics matter.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
23 Apr. 2025
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These hybrid operatives babysit swarms of agents, write policy tests and negotiate with regulators.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But Evan Mobley fills those margins with his apparitions of length.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Of the Marian apparitions the Church has confirmed, a remarkable number were received by children or adolescents.—
Emily Harnett,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In the beginning of the movie, Karsh goes on a date, but his grief scares the woman away.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
-
There were no players who really scared opposing defensive coordinators.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Gibbs meets his red-headed real estate agent, Diane (Kathleen Kenny).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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The same source suggested to The Athletic that Sanders' refusal to hire an agent to represent him in an official capacity acted as a detriment.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Over time, this becomes a powerful language between you and your spirit.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Good Americans and all institutions must stand tall to save America – as the spirit of Wallace, the descendants of slave owners, and like-minded folks must not prevail.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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