1
as in spies
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 spirits
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 scares
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 spooks
Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooks
Noun
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But the show’s dangers aren’t limited to supernatural creatures—sinister scientists, Soviet spies, and government cover-ups all loom large.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
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Duplicity, directed by Tony Gilroy, follows two corporate spies, Claire (Roberts) and Ray (Owen), who become embroiled in a clandestine love affair.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Walking tour explores the controversies, feuds and spirits that still haunt the grounds of this river city.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
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The Nolet family has been perfecting the art of spirits since 1691, when the first copper still fired up in Schiedam, Holland.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
15 Oct. 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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The president revoked Bolton’s Secret Service detail earlier this year, even as Iranian operatives remained under an indictment for plotting to assassinate him.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Oct. 2025
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On Monday, dozens of Hamas operatives were seen at a hospital in southern Gaza during the release of Israeli hostages.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hidden in the outskirts of downtown Stillwater, visitors can hunt down the haunted history and ghosts of the Warden’s House Museum.—
Sophia Arndt,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
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Families are turning dinner into an activity by using pizza dough or premade crusts to mold fun, spooky shapes, like ghosts, pumpkins, and bats, before topping them with sauce, cheese, and all their favorite fixings.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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What specifically frightens you?—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Cavazos says this work — chasing leads or even, at times, following ICE agents — to alert the community can be hard, especially now that the Department of Homeland Security regularly accuses groups like Cavazos' of interfering with their jobs and endangering the lives of immigration officers.—
Marisa Peñaloza,
NPR,
17 Oct. 2025
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Typically, by the time the first scene hits the screen, handfuls (more likely hordes) of people have had first looks including cast, crew, friends, family, media, agents, managers, publicists, etc.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In Good Boy, Indy investigates strange noises and ghostly apparitions in the remote country house.—
Laura Martin,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Spooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooks. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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