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 noticing
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
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
In addition to risking the franchise with spying activities, why would Nvidia want to bring harm to China in the first place?
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
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
Myles Graham, Aaron Chiles and Jaden Robinson struggled to balance spying the mobile USF signal caller with upholding UF’s zone coverage on crossing routes.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 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
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
In addition to risking the franchise with spying activities, why would Nvidia want to bring harm to China in the first place?
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Myles Graham, Aaron Chiles and Jaden Robinson struggled to balance spying the mobile USF signal caller with upholding UF’s zone coverage on crossing routes.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 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
-
The intention after writing Slow Horses was to go back and write another Zoë novel, but I got sucked into the world of espionage and have stuck with that.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
-
This interplay between exploration and espionage continues today, even when the surface of the world has been almost completely explored.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
What researchers actually discovered is a small asteroid following Earth’s orbit, one that’s been traveling alongside us for decades without anyone noticing.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But the smart ones were noticing.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Between the timing and Elsbeth spotting a shiny, brand-new replacement for Johnny’s beat-up old harness and carabiner, the jig is up, giving Elsbeth a moment to shine on the set of Raquel’s Behind the Black Veil interview, prosecuting her case in the persona of a reality-show host.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The robot is also capable of spotting the charging spot perfectly in electric vehicles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Admittedly, this may delight a curious gardener who enjoys seeing what novelties a volunteer plant can produce.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Added to the trauma of grief and sudden eviction under threat of reprisal, Adelaida has to endure seeing the sacred mementos of her mother’s life trashed by the thuggish new squatters.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Utopia, which acquired North American rights over the summer, is eyeing a theatrical release in early 2026.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The producers are eyeing a shoot in Northern Ireland and Ireland in spring 2026.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The strange outsider's jaunt through Earth's cosmic neighborhood has sparked widespread public fascination and plenty of outlandish conspiracy theories regarding its nature.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The Mamdani campaign maintains that any issue regarding financial contributions has been resolved.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The production draws on a long history of curiosity amusements in which people looked to be entertained by viewing others with unusual or non-normative bodies, especially in nineteenth-century Western circus and dime museums.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
-
While that might lead to a lower monthly bill, fans lose certain features like a live channel guide, viewing games from multiple networks at once and a combined DVR.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spying. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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