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
Amber McBride, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
But many parts of the United States will be rain-free for the spook-tacular holiday, including the Southwest and much of the Rockies, according to The Weather Channel.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 19 May 2026
The bond market spooked investors in recent days, as the 30-year yield hit its highest level since 2007, and the 10-year yield neared multi-year highs.
—Sean Conlon,lisa Kailai Han,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
The translation squeaks and spooks with imagery of haunts and death.
—Amber McBride, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
But many parts of the United States will be rain-free for the spook-tacular holiday, including the Southwest and much of the Rockies, according to The Weather Channel.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
The trigger was Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of Manus in 2025—a deal that reportedly spooked Beijing into tightening control over companies deemed strategically important.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 19 May 2026
The bond market spooked investors in recent days, as the 30-year yield hit its highest level since 2007, and the 10-year yield neared multi-year highs.
—Sean Conlon,lisa Kailai Han,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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Marrakchi, who has also directed episodes of such TV series as French spy thriller The Bureau and Damien Chazelle’s The Eddy, returns to Cannes’ Un Certain Regard program, where her 2005 feature debut Marock, about a Muslim-Jewish romance in Casablanca, also premiered.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
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Cuban officials later confirmed the spy director's visit in an official statement.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
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Sam immediately puts forth the ghosts, hoping that their deaths on the property might be enough.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Verb
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But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
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This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza González star in the film about a team of elite operatives on an impossible mission.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
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Republican Kandiss Taylor has filed to run for the seat, but her past political runs have led operatives to rule her out as a serious candidate.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The peak of Mercury's apparition (for latitude 40 degrees north) and its greatest elongation from the sun don't occur until the middle of June.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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The museum site has been a paranormal hotbed for decades, with sightings of apparitions, security camera footage capturing items flying off shelves, as well as experiences from staff members and visitors.—
Gregory Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That same year, Wait Until Dark scared me to death when bad guys terrorized a blind Audrey Hepburn.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
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Jittery housemaid Miss Lamb (Thomasin McKenzie) proves less trouble to manage, as Fred scares the wits out of her with bogus talk of a ghoul wandering the Moors.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Noun
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The debate also reflected the broader political moment, with several candidates positioning themselves either as defenders of California’s current direction or as agents of course correction on public safety, cost of living, and trust in government.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Though many people come to far West Texas for its isolation—the Unabomber’s slightly less reclusive brother did a stint here in the eighties, living at first in a crude underground shelter—Miller said that immigration-enforcement agents have been an intrusive presence for many years.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were outstanding, and Sam Merrill hit huge corner 3s in the first half to break Detroit’s spirit early.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Activist spirits might dismiss this emphasis on the purely sonic as a strategy of avoidance, although the likes of Feizabadi and Kourliandski can’t be accused of sitting idly by.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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