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
Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield are iconic characters that are wonderfully resurrected in this remake, the spooks are top notch, and the whole thing looks, sounds, and plays unbelievably.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Carolyn, whose position in America’s preeminent political dynasty is a counterpart to Diana’s place in the royal family, is spooked, to put it mildly.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
There will be trick-or-treating, costume contests, spook-tacular inflatables, Halloween crafts and vendor booths to connect with families with community resources.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield are iconic characters that are wonderfully resurrected in this remake, the spooks are top notch, and the whole thing looks, sounds, and plays unbelievably.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Some passengers have been arriving even earlier in Atlanta — one of the world's busiest airports — spooked about missing flights because of delays.
—CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Carolyn, whose position in America’s preeminent political dynasty is a counterpart to Diana’s place in the royal family, is spooked, to put it mildly.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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But the cameras in question are not exotic spy technology.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
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Ezekiel Richardson outs himself as a spy for the Continental Army to Claire.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When Wei’s Cantonese left its Meridian ghost-kitchen building and paused business — vowing to seek another location later — fans were understandably disappointed.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
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Listen to the full episode to hear about the ghost-hunting groups that rose up to fight them, and how ghost hoaxing was the precursor to that terrifying scary clown trend from 2016.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Grete is frightened of her brother, of course.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Israel knows women and babies were tortured, burned and posed in inhuman ways for one reason — to frighten.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The man who crashed an explosive-laden truck into a Michigan synagogue where scores of children were at daycare acted as an operative of Hezbollah, the foreign terrorist organization based in Lebanon, federal officials said March 30.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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An operative would normally plan to walk alone to a hotel room to avoid being seen with an asset.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For example, the apparition of his first wife, Grace Shelby (Annabelle Wallis), appeared a handful times in season five.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Mar. 2026
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The story follows a young woman who regains consciousness after three years in a coma, only to be confronted by the apparition of her deceased sister, as their mother’s search for the truth behind the sister’s death gradually uncovers a dark hereditary secret stretching back centuries.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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During the first phase, last spring, before DHS got the infusion of new money, Noem led a shock-and-awe campaign aimed mostly at scaring people into leaving.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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At the time, local hunters blamed the Ping for scaring away game.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The pair are chaos agents who, in conferring the benefit of sudden wealth, lure the recipients into corruption.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Registered agents can handle paperwork, often shielding the identities of those behind the entities.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Of course, there was also John Ashbery, a presiding spirit in his body of work.—
Giles Harvey,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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For travelers with an adventurous spirit, Costa Rica’s South Pacific is a dream come true.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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