as in espionage
the secret gathering of information on others
traditionally, anyone caught engaging in spying during wartime was shot or hanged
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in spotting
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 spying
Frank Andrews, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Joani Reid, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s governing Labor Party, issued a statement indicating that her husband was among three unnamed individuals British police arrested this week on suspicion of spying for China.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Liu hasn't ruled out seeing her life, and experience in an international spying incident, adapted into a movie.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Alysa and Arthur Liu have been targets of Beijing harassment and spying, the father has said.
—Griffin Eckstein, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Turkey arrests 6 suspected of spying ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkish authorities have arrested six people, including an Iranian national, on suspicion of spying for Iran, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Relations have deteriorated over allegations of Chinese spying in Britain, China’s support for Russia in Moscow’s war on Ukraine and the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, the former British colony that was returned to China in 1997.
—Ken Moritsugu, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
He is best known for leading Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency — tasked with spying for the government — for four years until 2017, stepping down after he was suspended and later sacked by Tinubu’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 28 Nov. 2025
The arms sale has raised intelligence concerns that China could gather information about the plane's technology through spying or its military ties with Saudi Arabia.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Mizan also reported that Iran executed a man on charges of spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Mizan also reported that Iran executed a man on charges of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Two spying buses passed me and took pictures of my car, resulting in my receiving two citations costing me $100.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
But there is little doubt, officials and experts say, that spying efforts are intensifying as the world’s two dominant superpowers, the United States and China, battle for superiority across economic, technological, military and ideological fronts.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Arthur and Alysa were targeted at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in a spying operation that the US Justice Department alleges was ordered by the Chinese government.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 23 Feb. 2026
The spying operation was unusually vast and allowed the hackers to hoover up sensitive information in apparent coordination with geopolitical events, such as diplomatic missions, trade negotiations, political unrest and military actions, according to the report.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
The 2007 spying scandal cost the team a first-round pick and $250,000, while Belichick was fined $500,000.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
Four men were arrested in London on Friday on suspicion of spying for Iran, according to the Metropolitan Police.
—Frank Andrews, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Joani Reid, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s governing Labor Party, issued a statement indicating that her husband was among three unnamed individuals British police arrested this week on suspicion of spying for China.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Liu hasn't ruled out seeing her life, and experience in an international spying incident, adapted into a movie.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Alysa and Arthur Liu have been targets of Beijing harassment and spying, the father has said.
—Griffin Eckstein, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Turkey arrests 6 suspected of spying ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkish authorities have arrested six people, including an Iranian national, on suspicion of spying for Iran, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Relations have deteriorated over allegations of Chinese spying in Britain, China’s support for Russia in Moscow’s war on Ukraine and the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, the former British colony that was returned to China in 1997.
—Ken Moritsugu, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
He is best known for leading Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency — tasked with spying for the government — for four years until 2017, stepping down after he was suspended and later sacked by Tinubu’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 28 Nov. 2025
The arms sale has raised intelligence concerns that China could gather information about the plane's technology through spying or its military ties with Saudi Arabia.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
Verb
John offers to marry Claire to protect her when the British Army wants to arrest her for spying.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Mizan also reported that Iran executed a man on charges of spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Mizan also reported that Iran executed a man on charges of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Two spying buses passed me and took pictures of my car, resulting in my receiving two citations costing me $100.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
But there is little doubt, officials and experts say, that spying efforts are intensifying as the world’s two dominant superpowers, the United States and China, battle for superiority across economic, technological, military and ideological fronts.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Arthur and Alysa were targeted at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in a spying operation that the US Justice Department alleges was ordered by the Chinese government.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 23 Feb. 2026
The spying operation was unusually vast and allowed the hackers to hoover up sensitive information in apparent coordination with geopolitical events, such as diplomatic missions, trade negotiations, political unrest and military actions, according to the report.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
The 2007 spying scandal cost the team a first-round pick and $250,000, while Belichick was fined $500,000.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spying
Noun
-
According to an alert issued by FBI in August 2025, Dragonfly is a cybersecurity cluster associated with FSB Center 16 unit, a key unit within Russia’s Federal Security Service responsible for signals intelligence, electronic espionage and cyber operations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Even if a person’s behavior smacked of espionage, the officer’s only recourse was to provide a free ride and a Slurpee.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even kids who haven’t seen the show will be captivated walking the City Walls and spotting Fort Lovrijenac.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Mar. 2026
-
As one sales agent noted to IndieWire’s Brian Welk last fall, the upside for these companies lies in spotting opportunities before others do.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Writers Raoul Groothuizen and Christina Poppe came up with the idea back in 2018, after noticing a sharp rise in racist rhetoric among the Flemish far-right.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Scientists had long assumed most of the moon lay beyond the protection of Earth’s magnetic field, but in 2019 scientists began noticing something odd about the experiment’s data that suggested the moon was somewhat protected from galactic cosmic rays.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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He’s still based at Salt Lake City International, where his 20-year-old daughter works as a TSA agent, and says that seeing his former colleagues struggling is difficult.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In terms of the commitment to doing a greater number of local shows, the idea is subscribers will be seeing more from their home countries, and more often.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The latest move shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise, Meta was already eyeing the existing market of billions of people with imperfect eyesight.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
29 Mar. 2026
-
When Miami's Liam Hicks lined out to first baseman Troy Johnson for a double play, Colorado's victory looked secure, and Vodnik was eyeing his first save.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This season has been particularly confounding, as Jokic himself pointed out this week regarding his individual play.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday regarding the American casualties at the Saudi base.—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The $10 general admission during the Lilac Festival on weekends includes petting zoo, lilac maze, hoe down & jug band shows, lawn games, and lilac viewing.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Of the acquisition, Park noted that Kani’s Ariel Esteban Cayer and Pearl Chan of Kani had accompanied the project for years, viewing early cuts and helping guide it toward completion.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spying. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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