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
Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Arrested on suspicion of spying, they were released from prison in Iran in November.
—Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
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
Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
Part of the problem is that world governments, which are in the best position to do something about cybersecurity, also exploit software vulnerabilities for spying and other national security purposes.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Arrested on suspicion of spying, they were released from prison in Iran in November.
—Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
Kohler and Paris were accused of spying for France and Israel and sentenced to lengthy prison terms in October 2025.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spying
Noun
-
The four cyberattacks are among more than 155 incidents of disruption — including arson, sabotage and espionage — linked to Russia or its proxies by Western officials and tracked by The Associated Press since Moscow's full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Inspired by the espionage novel by Dan Fesperman, Safe Houses is set in the aftermath of the killing of a high-ranking CIA officer in Madrid.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Imagine strolling through Newark Liberty International Airport and spotting puppies at every turn — baggage claim, security checkpoints, boarding gates.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
-
This sky cam from Embleton offers a wide field of view ideal for spotting meteors streaking across large sections of sky.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After noticing a problem, keepers separated the mother from her newborn, who weighed just 443 grams (less than a pound) and required immediate placement in an incubator at CIMBA to stabilize his temperature and safeguard his health, Reynoso Ruiz said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The days of people noticing pregnant women on the subway are largely over.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Witnesses also reported seeing a man matching Willacy's description near Sather's house and driving her vehicle on the day of the murder.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
For the first time, travelers and anyone driving through LAX will start seeing the People Mover trains traveling regularly above the airport, but for now, no passengers are on board.—
Amanda Starrantino,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Once the party ends and the hard work resumes, the production sector will be eyeing potential changes under Magyar.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Pritzker, a billionaire Hyatt Hotels heir seeking a rare third term as governor in November and eyeing a bid for the White House in 2028, made two contributions to Illinois Future PAC totaling $5 million in late February and early March, according to Federal Election Commission records.—
Dan Petrella,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Police have not confirmed any details regarding the incident at this time.—
Naomi Ruchim,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The team hopes the aircraft, beyond providing insight into wartime aviation, will impart wisdom regarding the real consequences of war during this time of global unrest.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Semafor’s Mohammed Sergie reports on how attitudes towards Iran have changed among Gulf citizens, with many now viewing the country as an enemy to be confronted and contained.—
Nawaf M. Al-Thani,
semafor.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The show currently averages nearly 8 million total viewers over 35 days of multiplatform viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spying. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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