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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of spook
Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Subsequently, a spy for the U.S. inside Vladimir Putin’s regime was extracted on fears Trump and his team were being sloppy with the nation’s secrets and could put the spook at risk.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025
Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2025
After cooling it for a minute, the President is back in his feud with the Federal Reserve over interest rates, spooking a market that values stability above all else.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Prouty became an ally of Carto’s and a mentor to the director Oliver Stone, who worked some of his feverish theories of power into the screenplay for JFK—Prouty is the sage, fast-talking spook played by Donald Sutherland.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Subsequently, a spy for the U.S. inside Vladimir Putin’s regime was extracted on fears Trump and his team were being sloppy with the nation’s secrets and could put the spook at risk.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
Birds spooked, birders aghast Paragliders invade Orlando Wetlands!
—Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2025
After cooling it for a minute, the President is back in his feud with the Federal Reserve over interest rates, spooking a market that values stability above all else.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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The season also brings back Monica Barbaro — fresh off her Oscar nomination for A Complete Unknown — as Schwarzenegger’s spy dad’s daughter.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
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Paramount, the studio behind the eighth spy thriller, also hosted premieres in Tokyo and London.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Her mother stalked the perimeter of the grave, faced with a philosophical question: how to take pictures of the ass of a ghost.—
Patricia Lockwood,
New Yorker,
18 May 2025
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One of my first ideas was wondering how a ghost could exist in contemporary society.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2025
Verb
-
The goal of strengthening Washington’s presence should be to reassure partners that U.S. pressure is designed to create stronger alliances, not to pave the way for abandonment, as well as to ensure that resisting China is viable for countries that are frightened by Beijing.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The American Declaration of Independence and Constitution frightened monarchies and despots around the world without a single bullet or gunboat.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In a display of brute aggression, cartel operatives humiliated Mexican officials by forcing the government to release Mr. Guzmán López shortly after he was captured.—
Alan Feuer,
New York Times,
7 May 2025
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For five seasons, Queen Latifah has been keeping the streets safe as former CIA operative Robyn McCall on The Equalizer — but her character's story has officially concluded.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
5 May 2025
Noun
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As the music plays, apparitions of shamans and African tribal dancers begin to mingle with the crowd.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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But Evan Mobley fills those margins with his apparitions of length.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Start to say no to distractions that do not serve your higher purpose, and start saying yes to the things that challenge you, stretch you and even scare you a little.—
Melissa Sierra,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
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What scares and excites you about where AI is headed for the next generation of artists?—
Lily Marks,
Time,
5 May 2025
Noun
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The team also included A.R.G.U.S. agent John Economos (Steve Agee) of the Belle Reve Penitentiary, National Security Agency agent and former Waller aide Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and new team member Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks).—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 May 2025
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This solution integrates contact centers with operational systems, enabling both self-service and live agent support across channels like voice, chat, and SMS.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
Noun
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This workaround defeats the spirit of the deferral rules.—
Andre Pennington,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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These lowball glasses give a fashionable look to an old-fashioned or a splash of any spirit.—
Adam Campbell-Schmitt,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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