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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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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
-
The District of Columbia's most affluent suburb is McLean, home to diplomats and spies.
-
Big tech and corporate spies Grady’s stewardship of state money has been questioned in the past.
Noun
-
The loss threatened the summer learning session, but on Sunday, the community stepped up at an impromptu fundraiser that raised spirits and funds.
-
As for cosmic weather this week, the planets align on June 28, igniting our adventurous spirits and libidos, eager to live life in the moment and sojourn onward!
Verb
-
Any loud sound just scares her terribly.
-
Look directly at the thing that scares you.
Noun
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That is until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the USSR, and the pair become CIA operatives.
-
The eight defendants, described by federal prosecutors as antifa operatives, were convicted after three weeks of trial and less than two days of jury deliberation in March.
Noun
-
The ghosts of 1982 Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick was asked multiple times at a news conference Friday outside of Arrowhead Stadium about that shocking game at the 1982 World Cup.
-
At Ojai, Lewis wistfully performed the solo prelude off in Libbey Park shrubbery as if a dallying forest spirit summoning ghosts of festivals past.
Verb
-
What frightens scientists more than the sheer numbers are that the cuts are arbitrary and manifestly pernicious.
-
But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.
Noun
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The inquiry comes days after The Associated Press reported that DEA agents repeatedly monitored—but did not seize—large fentanyl shipments between 2023 and 2025 while attempting to build broader criminal cases.
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Tax season is busy, but the IRS dispatches extra agents to answer calls in the weeks leading up to April 15.
Noun
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Today, the massive complex attracts paranormal investigators who report apparitions, voices, and other unexplained phenomena.
-
Why then, when discussing body image after weight changes, is our culture reaching for the language of vexing apparitions and death?
Cite this Entry
“Spooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooks. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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