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
Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
ArsTechnica, 27 Mar. 2025
But polling that shows a single-digit race in a Florida district Trump won by 30 points reportedly has some in the party spooked.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Cambridge math dons, government spooks, think-tankers, Iraqi archeologists: Of course they’re all caught up in a plot to save or destroy the world.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
This apparently spooked an SUV driver in the next lane, who jerked the wheel to the left and ran into the opposite curb.
—ArsTechnica, 27 Mar. 2025
But polling that shows a single-digit race in a Florida district Trump won by 30 points reportedly has some in the party spooked.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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What to know about the complex, long-simmering civil war Dearlove served as Britain's top spy between 1999 and 2004, when Tony Blair was prime minister.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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The astrophysicist, who keeps close tabs on orbital traffic, said that on the day of the interview (April 4), at least three objects had returned from space — two of SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites and a 43-year-old Russian spy satellite called Kosmos 1340.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Elytra Dark will serve as a transfer vehicle to bring the Blue ghost lander to the moon.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Apr. 2025
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But for all the ghost runners, bigger bases, pitch clocks, instant replays and (maybe) robot umps that spark debate, there’s one new rule that seems to be working really well.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Two years ago, several small-business owners testified to a legislative committee that Americans with Disabilities Act plaintiffs’ lawyers filed spurious complaints, alleging what appeared to be a random list of violations in an attempt to frighten and intimidate the business owner.—
Mark Hillman,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2025
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This has hallmarks of emotional abuse – non-physical behaviors meant to isolate, control and frighten.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Rather, Nick Badolato, a Brooklyn Conservative Party operative, collected signatures to run on the party’s line against Zhuang.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2025
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In one case, operatives posing as art dealers interested in purchasing a work by a dissident artist secretly installed surveillance equipment in his workplace and a GPS tracker on his car.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For much of its history, the Church has had to defend itself against accusations that levitations, apparitions, and other miracles were not the work of God but that of the devil.—
Emily Harnett,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Todd, the neighbor, even the strange apparitions are obfuscated simply because of their height, which adds to the eerieness of Indy’s experience but also makes Indy’s recognition of Todd’s voice all the more emotional.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Missouri product is a solid route-runner with sure hands, but there are some off-field concerns that could scare teams away.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Apr. 2025
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As the Trump administration arbitrarily revokes and denies student visas, and xenophobic rhetoric scares away potential foreigners, agencies specializing in recruiting students from abroad are facing a sharp downturn.—
Emma Whitford,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In February, OpenAI launched AI agent tool Deep Research weeks before publishing its system card.—
Hayden Field,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
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Now, with the company’s rejuvenated push into artificial intelligence and AI agents, Apple is combining these interests to redesign and rethink the way that consumers approach their healthcare needs.—
Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.D.,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The departures of Kuzma and Valančiūnas, as well as the additions of Middleton and Smart, set the stage for the Wizards to dramatically improve their ball movement and overall spirit.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Their booth was a stunning celebration of Italian spirit, exuding elegance, creativity and a deep connection to the brand’s Roman heritage.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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