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
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
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 4 May 2025
The ragtag group joins together under the watchful eye of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a morally flexible private-sector spook who has been named the head of the CIA in the new film.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
For that same time period, Meta reported rapidly growing costs due to its AI investments, spooking investors and sending its stock down 9 percent.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Come Season 2, Colter and Russell were confronted by a government spook who knew an awful lot about Dad.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 4 May 2025
The ragtag group joins together under the watchful eye of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a morally flexible private-sector spook who has been named the head of the CIA in the new film.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
Spirit Halloween employee Jimmy Harris told the outlet the pet monkey seemingly was in the store with its owner when it was spooked by one of the animatronic Halloween decorations in the store.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
For that same time period, Meta reported rapidly growing costs due to its AI investments, spooking investors and sending its stock down 9 percent.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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That is, after all, a spy’s skill.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
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The spy series has already spent time near TCU and in downtown.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Georgetown's ghost tours are just one activity visitors can participate in as a part of the Kentucky After Dark passport program.—
Stephanie Stremplewski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
25 Oct. 2025
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Some locals believe founder Charles Pfister still roams the property, according to reports, and even celebrities like rapper Megan Thee Stallion have gone ghost hunting there.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When the Maitlands' attempts to frighten the Deetzes away fail miserably, Barbara and Adam turn to the mysterious and mischievous Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to rid them of the living.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
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Around 100 pairs were found abandoned on the roof, perhaps due to the thieves being frightened away, Sheriff John Budensiek said at the news conference.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For a series about misfit intelligence operatives doggedly refusing to live up to even the lowest level of their potential, Apple TV’s Slow Horses is remarkably self-actualized.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
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Rightly considered a supercar in its day, Aston Martin’s DB5 is arguably the first vehicle to attain superstar status as well, thanks to playing the sidekick of covert operative James Bond in the 1964 film Goldfinger.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Fettel is present as a ghostly apparition.—
Will Borger,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
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Pulse is a ghost story, featuring two interwoven storylines about young Tokyoites who begin to see and hear strange apparitions flitting across their computer screens.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s something that scares me a little bit about not just theater, but people giving any opinions about any business.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
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Allow your emotions, even the ones that scare you, to come and go without judgment.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Products from companies like Cogent Security, 7AI, Prophet, and Dropzone AI, for instance, automate some of the routine defensive tactics that companies perform, using agents to send out alerts and escalate incident reports.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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Sandra Vergara is the newest real estate agent on Selling Sunset season 9.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Chinese officials saw the new rules as a violation of the spirit of their September trade talks in Madrid.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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In the Isan region of Thailand, an ancestral spirit named Ba Yan has been worshiped by villagers for generations.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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