as in spotted
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
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Recent Examples of spied
Toulouse spied potential, not the finished article.
—
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 13 May 2026
For years, the rover ascended a feature called Mount Sharp within the crater, aiming to reach clay-rich layers that orbiters circling the planet had spied.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
And Mindi said at one point she was being spied upon.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Residents near Hereford House who spied the visitors that morning may have wondered what their arrival portended for the town.
—Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026
But there’s no snow on the 101 Freeway near Thousand Oaks — which might come as a surprise to those who spied an errant travel alert from the California Department of Transportation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The moon's immense shadow was also spied by South Korea's GEO-KOMPSAT-2A weather satellite from its perch 22,370 miles (36,000 km) above Earth in geostationary orbit, close to the shadowy line of the night-day terminator.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The organization added that Stone spied Mo on the red carpet, posed for a few photos with the pup, and then decided the dog would be the perfect pet for her youngest son, Quinn.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
The real story of Barbie’s origins is much messier, and more interesting—especially as told in Barbieland, Tarpley Hitt’s rollicking tale of how Mattel spied, copied and stole its way to market dominance, then fought with military intensity to compel us to buy more and more.
—Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 13 May 2026
For years, the rover ascended a feature called Mount Sharp within the crater, aiming to reach clay-rich layers that orbiters circling the planet had spied.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
And Mindi said at one point she was being spied upon.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Residents near Hereford House who spied the visitors that morning may have wondered what their arrival portended for the town.
—Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026
But there’s no snow on the 101 Freeway near Thousand Oaks — which might come as a surprise to those who spied an errant travel alert from the California Department of Transportation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The moon's immense shadow was also spied by South Korea's GEO-KOMPSAT-2A weather satellite from its perch 22,370 miles (36,000 km) above Earth in geostationary orbit, close to the shadowy line of the night-day terminator.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The organization added that Stone spied Mo on the red carpet, posed for a few photos with the pup, and then decided the dog would be the perfect pet for her youngest son, Quinn.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
The real story of Barbie’s origins is much messier, and more interesting—especially as told in Barbieland, Tarpley Hitt’s rollicking tale of how Mattel spied, copied and stole its way to market dominance, then fought with military intensity to compel us to buy more and more.
—Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spied
Verb
-
Multiple sources later confirmed their split to PEOPLE in January 2025, though they were spotted together on several occasions in the months to follow.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
Under dark skies, it can even be spotted with the naked eye as a faint smudge of light.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Kuo showed off her ice-queen garb and noticed a friend in the corner.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
DeLuz noticed the Democrats becoming more combative, taking shots at Becerra during the last two debates as the former state attorney general is now considered the party's frontrunner.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Moving a blade back and forth to try to saw biscuits apart will make their layers stick (and ruin the rise).—
Ella Quittner,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Ruggeri says that, in comparison to saw palmetto, which gets far more attention.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
He’s being eyed for the lead after Ryan Gosling, who had been circling the role, exited the project due to creative differences and scheduling conflicts.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
20 May 2026
-
The lot being eyed for development is part of the city’s First Street TIF district.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Lead actress in a musical nominee Caissie Levy eagerly joined the bit, who is widely regarded as one of Broadway’s kindest figures.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Since his high school years, Jordan has gone on to become regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time due to his flawless 6-0 record in the NBA Finals, his incomparable scoring dominance and his unmatched competitive drive.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spied. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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