Synonyms of spying

spying 1 of 2

noun

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

• espionage
• counterintelligence
• counterespionage
• surveillance
• wiretapping
• reconnaissance
• intelligence
• eavesdropping
• bugging
• observation
• cloak-and-dagger
• tradecraft
• lowdown
• dope
• goods

spying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of spy

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

• spotting
• noticing
• seeing
• eyeing
• regarding
• viewing
• watching
• observing
• remarking
• looking (at)
• espying
• perceiving
• witnessing
• sighting
• catching
• beholding
• noting
• discerning
• distinguishing
• descrying
• getting a load of
• identifying
• scanning
• surveying
• setting eyes on
• laying eyes on
• considering
• studying
• inspecting
• picking out
• scrutinizing
• attending (to)
• examining
• marking
• making out
• heeding
• glimpsing
• peering (at)
• glancing (at)
• picking up
• minding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignoring
• neglecting
• disregarding
• passing over
• missing
• overlooking
• overpassing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spying

Noun

But the Pentagon doesn’t have a great track record with human spying. — Zach Dorfman, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026

The spying is alleged to have taken place between roughly June and September 2025, prosecutors claim. — David Douglas, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

In their complaint, the US alleged that Alfozan used an OpenAI productivity agent to research which conference rooms might be best exploited for his spying. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

The suspect, 35-year-old Abdulrahman Alfozan, appeared in a US District Court today on charges of spying, according to the US Justice Department, which described the case as a matter of national security. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026

Moreover, its lead in many technologies meant that the United States had much more to lose than to gain by legitimizing commercial spying. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

That show tackled Bitcoin, viral videos, NSA spying, and the goofy-ass names of 2010s tech startups without being hacky or hammy. — Meredith Haggerty, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026

There have been previous spying scandals at Germany's foreign intelligence agency. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Harbaugh countered that the only allegation the government has made of spying dated back to September 2025, and that his client's last contact with her Chinese government handlers, according to the complaint, was in October 2025. — Josh Boswell, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Verb

And in February, the US Justice Department indicted three former Google employees who were spying for foreign countries, including Iran. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2026

The actress provided the voice of a technologically advanced, data-spying smart refrigerator. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

To support their request to detain Alfozan, the government pointed to a case where former Twitter employees were charged with spying for the Saudi government. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

For additional privacy guidance, see our CyberGuy article, Are Apple devices spying? — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

It is understood Kering plans to build on the foundation left by Vaccarello, also spying additional opportunities in jewelry. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Invariably, the goal of this kind of espionage is to help key sectors in the spying country rapidly replicate or surpass American advances. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

Soon after spying the hungry bird, the family watched in horror as the kite accidentally dropped the reptile right into their backyard, bringing an abrupt end to tea on the veranda. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

That followed the tumultuous tenure of Jim Harbaugh that included a 2023 national title as well as a spying scandal and NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations. — CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026