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
In October, a resident of View Park-Windsor Hills, an unincorporated neighborhood in West Los Angeles, spied a man descending into a manhole and called police.
—
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Idling along the road one day for a lunch break, Campos spied someone building houses.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 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
Where skeptics spied a bubble, the revolution’s leaders saw the dawn of a new era of abundance.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
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
The origin story has it that in 1953 Ernie Blake, a Swiss-German transplant, flew in a little four-seater over northern New Mexico, spied the epic possibility in a steep, north-facing slope, then set to work, clearing and constructing his idea of a perfect ski mountain.
—Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
McCann spied an errant pumpkin.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The relative then spied a dead dog on an interstate nearby, and assumed the canine was Randy since both dogs had the same shading.
—Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Idling along the road one day for a lunch break, Campos spied someone building houses.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 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
Where skeptics spied a bubble, the revolution’s leaders saw the dawn of a new era of abundance.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
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
The origin story has it that in 1953 Ernie Blake, a Swiss-German transplant, flew in a little four-seater over northern New Mexico, spied the epic possibility in a steep, north-facing slope, then set to work, clearing and constructing his idea of a perfect ski mountain.
—Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
McCann spied an errant pumpkin.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The relative then spied a dead dog on an interstate nearby, and assumed the canine was Randy since both dogs had the same shading.
—Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spied
Verb
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The dramatic fading of this star, located around 3,200 light-years away in the Monoceros constellation, was first spotted at the end of 2024.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Simply being spotted around somebody discarding garbage on the ground can lead to a littering citation regardless of guilt.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But reexamining this dot in light of ongoing LRD fever, the team noticed something strange.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
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Commeree also noticed that her social media algorithm shifted to show more birth emergencies after viewing the content.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During the trial, jurors learned about grim Google searches Brian had made after his wife died, including how to saw a body and how to clean blood off of wood floors.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
18 Dec. 2025
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Fanatics shared the moment Tennessee Titans first overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward, saw Brady pop up on the screen to give him some wise words.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Reigning champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, also known as MJF, looked shocked as the chant began, staring into the camera wide eyed before scanning the crowd.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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Sources close to the production say an eventual Broadway landing is being eyed.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Starmer had faced growing pressure over the past week to fire McSweeney, who is regarded as a key adviser in Downing Street and seen as a close ally of Mandelson.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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Half of them were published in adulthood, with Frederick and Charles regarded as exceptionally promising poets until their talents were eclipsed not only by their younger brother but by their inner turmoil.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spied. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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