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
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Recent Examples of spy
Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 June 2026
And while it's designed to track enemy spies and terrorists, some lawmakers – including Republicans – say the communications of Americans can get swept up by the powerful surveillance tool, too.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 2 June 2026
ABC News, 18 May 2026
But as examples like those above illustrate, there’s little reason for companies to resort to outright spying like this, because users simply can’t wait to divulge the most intimate details of their minds and bodies voluntarily.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spy
Noun
The kick stage will be able to take big payloads from LEO to higher-energy orbits — for example, up to 8,800 pounds (4,000 kg) to geostationary orbit, a popular hangout for spy, communications and weather satellites that lies 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 June 2026
And while it's designed to track enemy spies and terrorists, some lawmakers – including Republicans – say the communications of Americans can get swept up by the powerful surveillance tool, too.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Verb
In November, a Sanaa court convicted 17 people of spying for foreign governments and sentenced them to death.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
But as examples like those above illustrate, there’s little reason for companies to resort to outright spying like this, because users simply can’t wait to divulge the most intimate details of their minds and bodies voluntarily.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spy
Noun
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Known for projects like Army of the Dead and a number for DC, including Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Snyder is currently in post on The Last Photograph, a drama following an ex-DEA operative and war photographer in search of a pair of missing children in South America.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
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To complete the task, Rachel needs to bring in a pair of expert extractors, Sid (Cavill) and Bronco (Gyllenhaal), and their team of covert operatives because Manny lives on an island guarded by a private army whose members are locked and loaded with high-tech weaponry.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Instead of just releasing Mythos, which proved in testing to be adept at spotting security holes, Anthropic initially made the model available to 11 organizations, including Club names CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks .—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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Howard’s eagle eyes spotted so many animals hiding in the bush and from great distances.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The real payoff is in watching Jackie, along with the actress playing her, slowly molt out of brand protection mode, and the always likable Goldstein is content to accept his role as a mere agent of that change.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
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Epstein told them to wait, walked over to the agents himself, and returned ten minutes later.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Luckily Thomas, who’s eyeing an opening date of June 11, hasn’t run into any major building issues.—
Katelyn Umholtz,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
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Passersby with timing and a certain derring-do have measured their odds and eyed their paths.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
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First, in February 2008, a Dutch TV station aired a confession allegedly made by van der Sloot and captured on a hidden camera by Patrick van der Eem, a businessman working undercover for a Dutch journalist.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
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The Agency‘s second season will continue following Martian, a CIA agent living undercover in his own life.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The ability to notice emotional shifts in others is a key part of developing empathy, one of the highest forms of emotional intelligence.—
Reem Raouda,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
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Fans also noticed that the show didn’t tag any of its contestants’ Instagram handles in this year’s announcement and that comments are already restricted on the Islanders’ personal pages, leading to speculation that the show has put new social media safeguards in place to alleviate harassment.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Qin Qin is an Asian fusion restaurant—available only to Diamond Club guests—whose menu blends Mayan ingredients with Asian staples, with dishes like Peking duck with black mole sauce, and cochinita pibil dumplings with yuzu foam and pickled red onions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Draped over crisp salmon like in this rice bowl (mole instead of spicy mayo; radishes instead of cucs); this is a form of recipe development, sewing together patches into a colorful quilt.—
Emma Laperruque,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Montenegro and Albania are seen as the frontrunners among the Western Balkans, while Ukraine and Moldova are moving closer to opening formal membership talks.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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The 29-year-old checked out of the game and was seen limping back to the locker room as the first quarter came to an end.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spy. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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