spook 1 of 2

noun

ˈspük How to pronounce spook (audio)
Definition of spooknext
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

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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

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spook

2 of 2

verb

as in to frighten
to strike with fear the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spook
Noun
Remember that movement spooks turkeys more than anything else. — Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026 Anthropic spooks cyber firms; eyes IPO. — John Kell, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
The return to military exchanges between the two countries has spooked the markets, sending stocks into the red and oil higher. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 Know More Saudi Arabia has been working on several measures in a bid to boost trading volumes on the stock exchange and reenergize new stock listings that had been faltering even before the Iran war spooked investors. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
  1. spy
  2. ghost
  3. frighten
  4. operative
  5. apparition
  6. scare
  7. agent
  8. spirit
Noun
  • One woman apparently introduced herself as a Russian spy who is no longer allowed in London.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The destroyer Kang Kon was commissioned into North Korea's navy in the eastern port city of Wonsan Sunday at a ceremony attended by Kim and his teenage daughter, whom South Korea’s spy service calls his likely heir.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of spy
Noun
  • During a fraught encounter between Hamlet and the ghost of his father, an actor freezes before exiting entirely.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Liam sweeps in like the ghost of Christmas Present and suddenly everyone — everyone being Noel — starts to wonder if this just might work after all.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of ghost
Verb
  • However, Stone told Bialik that she was not frightened by the encounter.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of frighten
Noun
  • Neither allowed al-Qaeda to establish new training camps, and Pakistani authorities, in particular, regularly helped the United States arrest and kill the group’s operatives.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Locals still had to do shopping in the nearby city of Uruapan, where Mayor Carlos Manzo was gunned down by a cartel operative last year, and work on their farms in the mountains.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of operative
Noun
  • For evening observers, this apparition has been more frustrating than triumphant, with Venus lingering low in the glow of twilight instead of climbing into a commanding position.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • One minute, the stubble field in front of his stand had been empty, and then suddenly, like an apparition, a whitetail buck had appeared.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of apparition
Verb
  • Since reintroducing Mexican wolves in 1998, the Fish and Wildlife Service has employed some programs to help manage livestock-wolf conflict, like using range-riders to monitor and deter wolves and scaring them off using non-lethal methods.
    — Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • What scares me is to see so many people traveling so fast with electric power and with, presumably, no training!
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of scare
Noun
  • Their defensive line flipped from fatal flaw to deep, disruptive chaos agent.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • What was the reason, exactly, for agents dressing for battle and toting weapons and riding in boats down the Chicago River?
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of agent
Noun
  • The spirits industry was pushing trade officials to get back to negotiating.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Groceries Tariffs on Canadian beer, wine, spirits, dairy ingredients and more could cause some price increases during your weekly shopping.
    — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of spirit

Browse Nearby Words

spoofs
spook
spooked
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Cite this Entry

“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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