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
Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
The sentencing of Earl and Reeves came after British police on Thursday arrested three men in their forties on suspicion of spying for Russia.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Jet-like capabilities The tank has radar, electronic tools for spying, and advanced communication systems.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
The United States continues its spying activity in Northeast Asia amid China's military threat, as one of its unmanned aircraft was spotted flying near the East Asian power.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Relying on other countries leaves Japan vulnerable to spying and sabotage, and China has laid tens of thousands of miles of cable around the world in the last decade.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Smart devices such as security cameras, thermostats and speakers can be taken over and used for spying or as part of larger cyberattacks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Weil is currently adapting for United Artists and Conclave director Edward Berger the film about Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal‘s foreign correspondent who was thrown into a Russian prison for a year on bogus spying charges.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2025
President Jimmy Carter selected Webster, a Republican, for a 10-year term as FBI chief as the bureau sought to improve an image tarnished by revelations of domestic spying, internal corruption and other abuses of power.
—Douglass K. Daniel, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
In 2024, 64 people in Taiwan were prosecuted for spying for China—more than the previous two years combined—with principal targets being current or former military personnel.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Dubai Reuters — An Iranian lower court handed heavy prison sentences to two French citizens charged with spying for France and Israel, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, a week after Paris and Tehran indicated progress in talks to release them.
—CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Depending on your age and foreign language ability, fulfilling your James Bond spy fantasies may not be very realistic—but spying for the British government just got more accessible.
—PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2025
Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel, Iranian state media reported, after the rights group Amnesty International said the man, Babak Shahbazi, had been sentenced to death in an unfair trial marred by allegations of torture.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
In a December 2023 Slate editorial, security researcher Bruce Schneier warned that AI models could enable unprecedented mass spying by automating the analysis and summarization of vast conversation datasets.
—Benj Edwards, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
After spying the lipstick backstage at a Diotima show, senior beauty shopping writer Kiana Murden was instantly intrigued—even though mattes aren’t typically her cup of tea.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
Marlowe’s supposed involvement in spying then becomes the skeleton key to his psyche.
—Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
The sentencing of Earl and Reeves came after British police on Thursday arrested three men in their forties on suspicion of spying for Russia.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Jet-like capabilities The tank has radar, electronic tools for spying, and advanced communication systems.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
The United States continues its spying activity in Northeast Asia amid China's military threat, as one of its unmanned aircraft was spotted flying near the East Asian power.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Relying on other countries leaves Japan vulnerable to spying and sabotage, and China has laid tens of thousands of miles of cable around the world in the last decade.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Smart devices such as security cameras, thermostats and speakers can be taken over and used for spying or as part of larger cyberattacks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Weil is currently adapting for United Artists and Conclave director Edward Berger the film about Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal‘s foreign correspondent who was thrown into a Russian prison for a year on bogus spying charges.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2025
President Jimmy Carter selected Webster, a Republican, for a 10-year term as FBI chief as the bureau sought to improve an image tarnished by revelations of domestic spying, internal corruption and other abuses of power.
—Douglass K. Daniel, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
They were linked in a secret video shown to Party members to a Cuban businessman accused of spying for Spain, though they were never charged.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
In 2024, 64 people in Taiwan were prosecuted for spying for China—more than the previous two years combined—with principal targets being current or former military personnel.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Dubai Reuters — An Iranian lower court handed heavy prison sentences to two French citizens charged with spying for France and Israel, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, a week after Paris and Tehran indicated progress in talks to release them.
—CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Depending on your age and foreign language ability, fulfilling your James Bond spy fantasies may not be very realistic—but spying for the British government just got more accessible.
—PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2025
Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel, Iranian state media reported, after the rights group Amnesty International said the man, Babak Shahbazi, had been sentenced to death in an unfair trial marred by allegations of torture.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
In a December 2023 Slate editorial, security researcher Bruce Schneier warned that AI models could enable unprecedented mass spying by automating the analysis and summarization of vast conversation datasets.
—Benj Edwards, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
After spying the lipstick backstage at a Diotima show, senior beauty shopping writer Kiana Murden was instantly intrigued—even though mattes aren’t typically her cup of tea.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spying
Noun
-
Three of Raff’s most significant projects have been espionage thrillers.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The abductions appear to have been part of North Korea’s espionage program, according to a 2014 UN report.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Oxford Forest Conservation Area Another popular South Island star-spotting area is the Oxford Forest Conservation Area, which was designated as a Dark Sky Park in 2024.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In Ocho Rios, the vast fringing reef shelf has drop-offs on the northern side perfect for spotting diverse soft and hard corals like staghorn, sea fan and brain coral.—
Adrienne Jordan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Harvey brings a distinctive approach to the nuclear narrative, one shaped by childhood memories of hearing about French President Jacques Chirac and the Rainbow Warrior bombing, but noticing the absence of First Nations voices in those stories.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
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Humans are inherently quite good at noticing changes in other people’s expressions.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
What airports are seeing flight cancellations?—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Polls show that economic impacts are driving the voting bloc the most and Latino businesses across the country, from Miami to Los Angeles, are seeing a drop in foot traffic because of ICE agents targeting their communities.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The focus right now is on international expansion, and the company is eyeing real estate in Paris.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Democrats are eyeing a special election in a traditionally conservative Tennessee House district as a potential flip opportunity following their victories in races across the country last week.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed above to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing, including a tax advisor and/or attorney.—
Steve Hruby,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Nov. 2025
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But that dynamic heated to a boiling point when ABC suspended the program in September, following Kimmel's brief remarks regarding the MAGA response to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Nielsen’s streaming ratings cover viewing on TV sets only and don’t include minutes watched on computers or mobile devices.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
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Within that viewing audience, Schoessel sees a great deal of crossover with his core customer.—
Jennie Bell,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spying. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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