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
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
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
-
One worker joined the FBI and made a career in counterintelligence, sniffing out Chinese spies.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Desperate to learn what happened, the pair volunteers to become spies in Moscow themselves.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Despite its name, the bar operates as a globally minded cocktail destination with equal attention paid to other spirits, along with small bites and an impressive cigar selection.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
-
And for Dirty Shirleys, different spirits, including vodka, gin, tequila and vermouth can be substituted.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But for real chills and scares, the granddaddy The Blair Witch Project still is the crown jewel.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Is there somewhere that scares you?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Set against escalating Arctic ambitions by Russia and China, the story follows a Finnish family of operatives navigating military conflict, biological warfare, and global espionage as geopolitical tensions reach breaking point.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Game of Thrones alum stars alongside Haley Lu Richardson in the new Peacock thriller series, which follows Bea (Clarke) and Twila (Richardson), two widows of CIA agents who take their husbands' places in Moscow as CIA operatives.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are a few characters—the cowboy who leads horseback rides through the canyon (straight from central casting, but totally legit), or the guide who takes you hiking into the desert who knows how to survive on cactus and insects and also feels the presence of Navajo ghosts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The silk mousseline garments floated almost like ghosts or memories of Chanel designs past, including the famous skirt suit with its matching cardigan and Karl Lagerfeld modernisms like jeans with a tweed jacket, plus the iconic flap bag.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Baker says what frightens her most is whether younger generations will ever be able to step off that wheel — to build generational wealth through homeownership.—
Elizabeth Prann,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
-
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
-
Draft indictment detailed Epstein’s abuse The FBI started investigating Epstein in July 2006 and agents expected him to be indicted in May 2007, according to the newly records released.—
Eric Tucker,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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Elsewhere, law enforcement leaders, civil rights advocates and other legal experts have decried how ICE agents and other federal officers have been flouting best practices when making street arrests, conducting crowd control and maintaining public safety amid mass protests.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The image combines each planet's nightly positions during separate 2025 apparitions, assembled by astrophotographer Petr Horálek, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Sam slips back into her addiction and as her alcoholism worsens, so do the visions and apparitions that seem to be haunting the forest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooks. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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