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
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
But the company continues to face accusations that its products pose a spying threat that China could leverage.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 22 Apr. 2026
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
They are believed to be the first people to have been convicted of spying for China in Britain, local media reported.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Noun
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
But the company continues to face accusations that its products pose a spying threat that China could leverage.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
They are believed to be the first people to have been convicted of spying for China in Britain, local media reported.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spying
Noun
-
In October 2024, the Justice Department charged five Chinese nationals who studied at U-M with espionage after they were accused of photographing military equipment at Camp Grayling in northern lower Michigan.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 June 2026
-
And James Bond works on a similar frequency, now more a figure of myth—author Ian Fleming died more than six decades ago—than any sort of direct commentary on the merits of western espionage.—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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But the Atlanta product was a versatile combo guard in college who could play on or off the ball, facilitating out of pick-and-rolls, spotting up or creating his own shot against 1-on-1 defense.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
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Fans are probably lining up for scones in hopes of spotting Ashley crying behind the counter.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
One of the pleasures of stargazing is noticing and enjoying the various colors that stars display in dark skies.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
11 June 2026
-
The daughter of a 2024 bus hijacking victim has filed a lawsuit saying the bus operator, Gwinnett County and the city of Atlanta are all to blame for not noticing the shooter’s erratic behavior long before the trigger was pulled.—
Alex Nettles,
AJC.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Quick hits Cornerback Chau Smith-Wade, who is seeing time at safety, blitzed Pickett for a would-be sack during 11-on-11 work.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
-
This is inevitably a book by a human about how humans—the makers of art and its viewers—understand the dog seeing in relation to our species.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
With Ossoff the sole Democrat seeking reelection in a state the president won in 2024, Republicans have been eyeing a pickup opportunity in Georgia.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
Show leaders will meet to dissect every frame of Game 4’s broadcast, eyeing improvements for Game 5 on Saturday.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The Angels began the final week of testimony in the Tyler Skaggs wrongful death lawsuit by once again questioning the plaintiffs regarding Skaggs’ drug use.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
9 Dec. 2025
-
On Monday, more big news surfaced regarding redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin, who has delivered an outstanding season leading the Buckeyes’ offense.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Outdoor space is ample on Decks 7 and 8, with viewing platforms in front of the bridge and at the stern of the ship on Deck 6.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
The square offered two viewing areas, with one screen showing the Fox broadcast in English and another area showing the Telemundo broadcast in Spanish.—
Cal Phillips
June 14,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spying. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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