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
Relevance
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
Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Remember that movement spooks turkeys more than anything else.
—Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
Anthropic spooks cyber firms; eyes IPO.
—John Kell, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
The translation squeaks and spooks with imagery of haunts and death.
—Amber McBride, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
There are even more spooks in the follow-up season, The Haunting of Bly Manor.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 23 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
Usa Today, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
Portofiro and the baroque universe surrounding it—communists on-world, techno-fascists offplanet, and all manner of augmentoids and spooks in the immaterial planes between—can make for a dizzying read.
—Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Remember that movement spooks turkeys more than anything else.
—Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
Anthropic spooks cyber firms; eyes IPO.
—John Kell, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
The translation squeaks and spooks with imagery of haunts and death.
—Amber McBride, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
There are even more spooks in the follow-up season, The Haunting of Bly Manor.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 23 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
That confidence spooks your rivals!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooks
Noun
-
In 1977, two women living in the United States Embassy in Moscow become unlikely spies.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
Both groups were accused of being spies, traitors and collaborators, according to the report.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Call it fate or family tree, Anna Prillaman was born into the craft and culture of spirits.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
And getting the word out that everybody needs to watch and celebrate because the show is going to lift your spirits and bring a smile to your face.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Even horror shows are written from a place of what scares the author the most, and most sci-fi shows are grounded in human truth.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
And Jalen Brunson’s multiple injuries scares thrust Alvarado into key, early minutes.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Applewhaite is among the Democratic operatives publicly criticizing the Biden's public reemergence in recent days — especially Jill Biden's book tour.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
After negotiations that lasted nearly nine hours, Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire, contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The ghosts of Belo Horizonte However, no moment symbolizes Brazilian soccer’s decline more than the 90 minutes of chaos at Belo Horizonte’s Mineirão stadium when the host nation took on Die Mannschaft in the World Cup semifinals on July 8, 2014.—
Emile Nuh,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
The question is, can German manager Thomas Tuchel, who coached Chelsea to a Champions League crown, lead England past the ghosts of 40 years of World Cup heartbreak and the disappointment of losing the last two European Championship finals?—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
-
The piercing sunlight frightens her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents and base personnel tracked two suspects while ordering residents to shelter in place, then discovered 51 kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl inside the deserted vehicle.—
Jasmine Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Melissa Bridgeford, the cofounder and CEO of Wizard Commerce, which makes AI shopping agents, said that even for product discovery, existing AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT often fall short.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The museum site has been a paranormal hotbed for decades, with sightings of apparitions, security camera footage capturing items flying off shelves, as well as experiences from staff members and visitors.—
Gregory Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
There certainly seem to be apparitions in this music, some presence apart from the four musicians and the throngs of fans, which is intensified by the visceral collision of so many sounds.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooks. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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