: software that is installed in a computer or mobile device without the user's knowledge and that transmits information about the user's activities
Jan should scan her computer for viruses, worms, and spyware …—
Kenneth Baldauf and Ralph Stair
Kenneth Baldauf and Ralph StairSmartphones belonging to more than three dozen journalists, human rights activists, and business executives have been infected with powerful spyware that an Israeli firm sells, purportedly to catch terrorists and criminals, The Washington Post and other publications reported.—Dan Goodin
Dan GoodinExamples of spyware in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Strong antivirus programs help block malware, spyware and phishing attempts that can lead to identity theft.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Threat actors who manage to get their spyware installed on a device will no longer have to scour it for the most sensitive data stored there.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025
While such spyware isn’t widely deployed against most people, top government officials are some of the biggest targets for governments and intelligence agencies engaged in espionage.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2025
The data could expose the officials to hostile intelligence services that could conceivably use it to hack communications and plant spyware on those officials’ devices, German newspaper Der Spiegel reported.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
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Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Threat actors who manage to get their spyware installed on a device will no longer have to scour it for the most sensitive data stored there.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025
While such spyware isn’t widely deployed against most people, top government officials are some of the biggest targets for governments and intelligence agencies engaged in espionage.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2025
The data could expose the officials to hostile intelligence services that could conceivably use it to hack communications and plant spyware on those officials’ devices, German newspaper Der Spiegel reported.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spyware
Cite this Entry
“Spyware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spyware. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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