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
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Recent Examples of spying
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
In March, two Democrats and two Republicans opposed to the law’s broad spying authority introduced a bill to limit the government’s ability to obtain Americans’ private communications without a warrant.
—ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Congress seemed likely to renew the FISA provision at the last minute despite bipartisan concerns about the scope of government spying.
—Jason Willick, Washington Post, 6 June 2026
The Five Eyes, which has its roots in US-UK cooperation during World War II, is one of the world’s most comprehensive spying alliances.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Another possible complication is if any more evidence emerges of further spying on teams who missed out on automatic promotion or qualification for the play-offs.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 21 May 2026
His lawyer, John Carman, said federal prosecutors dressed up a mundane paperwork case with specious suggestions that Lu was involved in spying and intelligence gathering.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
Concerns have been raised over such instances of alleged spying on Jewish communities, prompting some to call on the government to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 3 May 2026
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
But that doesn’t mean the government’s spying powers will disappear.
—ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Following the House vote, congressional Republicans blamed Democrats for putting a key spying tool in jeopardy, noting the high-level security events happening around the country in the coming weeks such as July 4 celebrations and World Cup matches.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
Congress is struggling to meet a fast-approaching deadline to extend a key government spying law, potentially jeopardizing national security as the Iran war drags on.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 June 2026
But Southampton’s expulsion following the spying scandal has handed Middlesbrough an extraordinary reprieve — and the betting market has reacted in their favour.
—Dean Jones, New York Times, 23 May 2026
The incident comes as relations between the two countries remain at a historic low over the Ukraine war and longstanding spying allegations.
—CBS News, 20 May 2026
In November, a Sanaa court convicted 17 people of spying for foreign governments and sentenced them to death.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
Everything about this, particularly the spying part, seems positivily Hitchcockian.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Noun
As a result, stories revealing the NSA’s mass spying tactics were published in The Guardian, The Washington Post and other outlets around the world.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
In March, two Democrats and two Republicans opposed to the law’s broad spying authority introduced a bill to limit the government’s ability to obtain Americans’ private communications without a warrant.
—ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Congress seemed likely to renew the FISA provision at the last minute despite bipartisan concerns about the scope of government spying.
—Jason Willick, Washington Post, 6 June 2026
The Five Eyes, which has its roots in US-UK cooperation during World War II, is one of the world’s most comprehensive spying alliances.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Another possible complication is if any more evidence emerges of further spying on teams who missed out on automatic promotion or qualification for the play-offs.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 21 May 2026
His lawyer, John Carman, said federal prosecutors dressed up a mundane paperwork case with specious suggestions that Lu was involved in spying and intelligence gathering.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
Concerns have been raised over such instances of alleged spying on Jewish communities, prompting some to call on the government to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 3 May 2026
Verb
In 2024, the Canadian women’s national team was accused of using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session in the days leading up to its opening match at the Paris Olympics, triggering a spying scandal that led to sanctions against Canada.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
But that doesn’t mean the government’s spying powers will disappear.
—ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Following the House vote, congressional Republicans blamed Democrats for putting a key spying tool in jeopardy, noting the high-level security events happening around the country in the coming weeks such as July 4 celebrations and World Cup matches.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
Congress is struggling to meet a fast-approaching deadline to extend a key government spying law, potentially jeopardizing national security as the Iran war drags on.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 June 2026
But Southampton’s expulsion following the spying scandal has handed Middlesbrough an extraordinary reprieve — and the betting market has reacted in their favour.
—Dean Jones, New York Times, 23 May 2026
The incident comes as relations between the two countries remain at a historic low over the Ukraine war and longstanding spying allegations.
—CBS News, 20 May 2026
In November, a Sanaa court convicted 17 people of spying for foreign governments and sentenced them to death.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
Everything about this, particularly the spying part, seems positivily Hitchcockian.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spying
Noun
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Both Sato and Thompson suspect that the espionage law has had a chilling effect on their work.—
Laura Secor,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
-
Peacock is also switching tactics from past channels’ campaigns for espionage series.—
Whitney Friedlander,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The sector is increasingly turning to the defense industry, spotting an opportunity to collaborate and capitalize upon the continent's rise in military spending.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
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The waters here are considered some of the best for sailing and tarpon fishing, and there's a good chance of spotting dolphins and sea turtles.—
Ana Pelayo Connery,
Travel + Leisure,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Royd and Maribel Lemus, co-owners of Royd’s at Gateway Farms and Nursery, expanded their farm to offer home-style Cuban food, juices, a mechanical bull, petting zoos, and gathering a space after noticing people were eager to spend time outside after the pandemic.—
Delia Rose Sauer,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
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Every moment of noticing interrupts the automatic stream of thinking and reconnects you with the present moment.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Another patient, David Nurieli, described seeing elderly individuals forced to walk or be carried up three flights of stairs when the elevator fails.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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Those concerns were amplified by Marsch only seeing his players every few months before the World Cup.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Satellite, rocket and robotics startups are in testing Outside of the trillion-dollar-plus tech stock universe, several startups are also eyeing the skies.—
Bob Woods,
CNBC,
21 June 2026
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Like others in her party, Kamlager-Dove is eyeing the upcoming midterms as a moment for potential change.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
20 June 2026
Verb
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After their convincing wins over Paraguay and Australia that sent them on to the knockout rounds, however, many are starting to readjust their expectations regarding the ceiling of this squad.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
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The visit is part of Islamabad’s ongoing efforts regarding Iranian-US negotiations, Tasnim reported.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Verb
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The latter is specialized in channel publishing, programming and editorial curation, and shaping premium and brand-safe viewing environments designed to enhance discoverability and drive audience engagement across FAST and AVOD platforms.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
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Kids programming accounted for nearly 22 percent of all Netflix viewing last year, the streamer says, and Gabby’s is among its standouts.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spying. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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