as in operative
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
the government spy risked his life every day in the fight against global terrorism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to spot
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I spy a motel off in the distance, so let's spend the night there
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 spy
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Besides Han, Yoon’s defense, safety and justice ministers, spy and police chiefs as well as some of his top military commanders have been indicted on rebellion and other charges related to the martial law imposition.
—CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
In Volume 2, Vecna uses Will to spy again to see where Max (Sadie Sink) is — a hospital bed in Hawkins — which puts her in physical danger.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spy
Noun
Based on the popular Australian book series, the kids movie sees a top teen spy’s status threatened by a new agent.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Besides Han, Yoon’s defense, safety and justice ministers, spy and police chiefs as well as some of his top military commanders have been indicted on rebellion and other charges related to the martial law imposition.
—CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
The organization added that Stone spied Mo on the red carpet, posed for a few photos with the pup, and then decided the dog would be the perfect pet for her youngest son, Quinn.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
In Volume 2, Vecna uses Will to spy again to see where Max (Sadie Sink) is — a hospital bed in Hawkins — which puts her in physical danger.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spy
Noun
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In 2008, after the Democrats’ sweeping victory of the White House and Congress, the longtime Republican operative Ralph Reed began studying exit polls to understand why so many conservatives who wouldn’t have dreamed of voting for Al Gore or John Kerry had supported Obama.—
Charles Duhigg,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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When their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances, the pair become CIA operatives.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Twin waved at them, and finally the police spotted her hiding in plain sight, standing beside her neighbors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Microsoft’s new warning was spotted by Windows Latest.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At the time, Border Patrol agents were conducting enforcement operations in the area when civilians blew whistles and shouted, forcing authorities to tell the crowd to stay on the sidewalk in order to steer clear of law enforcement activity.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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After another pause, the agent in the black beanie raises his gun again, and five more shots are fired.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After already being in college football for seven years, the Miami Hurricanes linebacker, listed as a graduate student on Miami Athletics' official site, is reportedly eyeing a return to play in the 2026 season, which would mark his eighth in the sport.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The prime minister could certainly do with a win as rivals in his governing Labour Party eye his job.—
Brendan Murray,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Le, who was working undercover, was shot while inside his vehicle after responding to one of multiple burglaries at a cannabis business on Embarcadero near Fifth Ave.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
11 Dec. 2025
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Four other agents accompanied me, all also operating undercover.—
Martin Suarez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The theft wasn't noticed until a store employee saw that the entire caviar section was empty, which led management to check their security cameras.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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One game, Jordan Ross, his roommate, noticed that Jake was too late to rotate over on a double-team from the baseline side on a drive.—
Mirin Fader,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Despite some high-profile scalps, rightsholders are playing a game of whack-a-mole.—
Olivia Solon,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
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In a twist, the money was never in the hands of the moles and was instead taken to the police as part of an elaborate plan by LT to plant false information and figure out who the snitch in the group was.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Al-Maliki ended his second term in 2014 after the Obama administration’s growing frustration with his security blind spots that saw the rise of the Islamic State in the same year across a large swathe of Iraqi and Syrian territory.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Someone who should not stumble into this, who should not have to see the grave of her loved one defaced.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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