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
Julia Shapero, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
George’s horse spooks and flees; looking up at a ridge, Joe sees Yé’iitsoh.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025
Truss's reign was defined by two events—the death of Queen Elizabeth II and a tax slashing mini-budget which spooked the financial markets—triggering a loss of confidence from her own Conservative MPs and the collapse of her administration.
—James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Technology The Big Story Potential chip tariffs spook tech industry
President Trump’s threats to tariff semiconductors are stoking alarm within the tech sector as companies brace for ripple effects across the industry.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
George’s horse spooks and flees; looking up at a ridge, Joe sees Yé’iitsoh.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
Eagles exec Howie Roseman traded up a spot and got the defensive tackle ninth after off-field behavior spooked some teams.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025
Truss's reign was defined by two events—the death of Queen Elizabeth II and a tax slashing mini-budget which spooked the financial markets—triggering a loss of confidence from her own Conservative MPs and the collapse of her administration.
—James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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Deadline has confirmed that the original artwork was replaced by stills from the Ian Fleming spy movies over the weekend, following a social media backlash that coincided with James Bond Day on October 5.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
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Another serendipitous development that’s got Petrie excited is the upcoming second season of The Night Manager with Tom Hiddleston, the British spy thriller adapted from John le Carré’s 1993 novel.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Starks’ dream is to someday visit the Warren Occult Museum in Connecticut, which is closed to the public, but open to guests who book overnight stays at the home of late, famed ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
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Former teen heartthrob Devon Sawa briefly appeared at the end of Casper, playing the titular ghost's human form.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If the intent was to frighten the population, the move succeeded.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Privately, political operatives from both sides concede that government shutdowns are bad for both parties.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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Once the candidate is defined with a platform backfilled with extensive details, then allow the political operatives to take that platform out into social media with an out-of-the-box approach like some of the earlier suggestions.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In winter, breath crystallizes in the air, and the animals resemble pale apparitions in an otherworldly landscape of snow and ice.—
Susan Portnoy,
AFAR Media,
3 Oct. 2025
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Forced to participate in increasingly macabre rituals and tests, Giacomo is consumed by the sinister — as apparitions, ghosts and deadly rumors start to accumulate.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Nice to know there’s stuff that scares him.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
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There’s something about kidnapping that scares the fear out of you, Goldberg-Polin says.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Federal immigration agents carried out a weeklong enforcement campaign across central Florida that led to the arrest of more than 400 migrants without legal status, officials say.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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His plan is to pose as a Fish & Wildlife agent, there to question Catalina’s husband about poaching … and then what?—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Throughout an offseason devoted to expansive training, that spirit was on full display — including during the lively knockout games at Prentiss’ gym.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Wrangler and Filson have come together to create a collection that captures the spirit of the American frontier.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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