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
Julia Shapero, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
George’s horse spooks and flees; looking up at a ridge, Joe sees Yé’iitsoh.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
But the deployment of—among others—three destroyers, at least one submarine and an amphibious ready group (ARG) filled with Marines is a further deterioration in the poor relationship between Washington and Caracas that appears to have spooked Maduro.
—Ellie Cook
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Technology The Big Story Potential chip tariffs spook tech industry
President Trump’s threats to tariff semiconductors are stoking alarm within the tech sector as companies brace for ripple effects across the industry.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
George’s horse spooks and flees; looking up at a ridge, Joe sees Yé’iitsoh.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
Much to my surprise, the rams didn’t spook.
—Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
But the deployment of—among others—three destroyers, at least one submarine and an amphibious ready group (ARG) filled with Marines is a further deterioration in the poor relationship between Washington and Caracas that appears to have spooked Maduro.
—Ellie Cook
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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This is mostly an over-the-top spy thriller with wild shootouts, great suspense and some really intense action, but this scene took it to another level entirely.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Padrino accused Washington of sharply intensifying aerial surveillance of Venezuela, citing a surge in spy flights last month.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The bright orange bucket, sporting Home Depot's logo, features jack-o'-lanterns, bats, ghosts, spiders and spiderwebs.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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The ghosts of the Federal Theatre still haunt the 102-year-old movie house, and David Lindoerfer has seen them.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Judy Hernandez’ husband Raul, a co-founder of the community group the Resurrection Project, dismissed those plans as a political stunt geared to create fear and frighten Spanish-speaking people.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One is Julie Stauch, a longtime Iowa political operative who launched her bid in June.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
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The report also detailed how its AI capabilities were being misused by North Korean operatives who used it to obtain remote jobs at tech companies.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Zoo will be joined by a second new maze based on the Bloody Mary apparition who can be summoned by anyone who turns out the lights and says her name into a mirror three times.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ahead of the 500-year anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Tepeyac, Mexico, the sculpture is embarking on a worldwide tour, with visits scheduled to Colombia, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, among other places.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Just enough time to snap some selfies and scare your housemates.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Their offense, outside their all-world quarterback, doesn’t scare anybody, not without Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (injury), and with Travis Kelce in Year 13.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Frantzve is a real estate agent with The Corcoran Group in New York City, according to her LinkedIn profile.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Staffing firms must help clients unbundle jobs into tasks and outcomes, then match them with the right blend of full-time employees, freelancers, or AI agents.—
John Winsor,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In that spirit, the exhibition resists the expectation that women and non-binary artists must define themselves in contrast to a male norm.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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The spirit of his work, which earned him a humanism in medicine scholarship in medical school, is what prompted him to call Sutton-Schulman.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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