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

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

spook

2 of 2

verb

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 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
Anthropic spooks cyber firms; eyes IPO. — John Kell, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026 In the Neighborhood, but that score is really eerie as well, with some real moments of spook. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Verb
However, Anthropic’s Mythos release spooked Trump into requesting voluntary safety testing of frontier models in May. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026 In the 2014 World Cup, in Brazil, Postecoglou’s Australia spooked a talented Chile in one match, and took the lead against the Netherlands in another. — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 1 July 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
  • The concept of spy satellites recording images and sucking up communications signals is well-known.
    — Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 13 July 2026
  • Possession tells the story of a spy (Neill) and his increasingly fraught relationship with his wife (Adjani) who wants a divorce after having an affair.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
Definition of spy
Noun
  • The same applies to the Lake of Tears, which seemed really important when Jim’s ghost showed up to tell Ethan to find it.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • The English have to contend with not only the ghost of Maradona’s two goals, but also the altitude in Mexico City, which is about 7,350 feet above sea level.
    — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of ghost
Verb
  • Fireworks can frighten animals and send them scattering, but Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets apparently are made of sterner stuff.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • In those moments, what frightened her most was not her own safety but the knowledge that her husband was up there somewhere, flying in the same sky swarming with fighter planes dropping their bombs on Tehran.
    — Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026
Definition of frighten
Noun
  • OpenAI’s disclosures shed some light on how Chinese operatives are using existing AI models.
    — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • The first book in the Gray Man series about Court, a former CIA operative, was published in 2009.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of operative
Noun
  • The music starts to shift beginning with the third episode, when Lestat becomes overwhelmed by the apparition of his abusive maker and other ghosts, including Claudia, whose killing he’d been forced to witness firsthand.
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • Reports of strange sounds, apparitions, and unexplained encounters continue to attract visitors.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Definition of apparition
Verb
  • Gone are the days when the racy content of a show like Love Island USA—where contestants wear next to nothing and more than one has been kicked off for questionable social media posts—would scare advertisers off.
    — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Maybe two or three groups of hoaxers out there at once, bumping into each other in the dark and scaring the scales off one another.
    — Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
Definition of scare
Noun
  • These gateways address growing concerns about ungoverned AI agents directly interacting with production systems, offering vital governance, security, cost management, and observability.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • The agent confiscated the letter, carried by Cuban businessman Roberto Carlos Chamizo, and sent him back to Havana.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of agent
Noun
  • So after years of working as a television producer, Saleh left broadcast journalism and leaned into her creative spirit.
    — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • All the most gasp-inspiring moments of visual awe — such as Moana soaring across the sea as a manta ray spirit swims underneath her — are just a little stronger, a little bolder and brighter, in their original art form.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 July 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 15 Jul. 2026.

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