as in operatives
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
the government spy risked his life every day in the fight against global terrorism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in notices
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 spies
Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
The duo plays Emily and Matt, a married pair of ex-CIA spies forced out of retirement and back into the world of espionage after their secret identities are revealed.
—Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Cianfrance supplies a real jerk of a manager in Peter Dinklage’s Mitch, on whom Jeffrey spies by setting up baby monitors in the back office.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Called Back in Action, the comedy action flick stars Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as a pair of married former CIA spies who are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, the de facto leader of a bunch of down-on-their-luck spies, will be back in Slough House for more adventures based on Mick Herron's series of books.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
In a March interview with the Standard, the actress urged the writing of more movies about real-life women spies in place of a female 007.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
In recent months, hackers of seemingly every stripe — cybercriminals, spies, researchers and corporate defenders alike — have started including AI tools into their work.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
Set during the Great Depression, a Milwaukee detective’s quest to find a Wisconsin cheese heiress lands him in Hungary and on a collision course with history to meet Nazis, spies, and swing musicians in the octogenarian literary giant’s first novel in over a decade.
—Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
The duo plays Emily and Matt, a married pair of ex-CIA spies forced out of retirement and back into the world of espionage after their secret identities are revealed.
—Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Cianfrance supplies a real jerk of a manager in Peter Dinklage’s Mitch, on whom Jeffrey spies by setting up baby monitors in the back office.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Called Back in Action, the comedy action flick stars Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as a pair of married former CIA spies who are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, the de facto leader of a bunch of down-on-their-luck spies, will be back in Slough House for more adventures based on Mick Herron's series of books.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
In a March interview with the Standard, the actress urged the writing of more movies about real-life women spies in place of a female 007.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
In recent months, hackers of seemingly every stripe — cybercriminals, spies, researchers and corporate defenders alike — have started including AI tools into their work.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
When Leo first spies the orphaned Josie singing on a Boston street corner, he’s struck by her resemblance to the Pendleton family, his father’s former employers and the victims of great tragedy when their baby was kidnapped in 1880.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spies
Noun
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Israeli airstrikes on Doha that killed Hamas operatives have intensified regional drama and prompted emergency meetings of Arab and Islamic leaders in the Qatari capital on September 14.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
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Jayson is not entirely thrilled that two of his operatives are dead and their child, Sam, is missing.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Consider the first scene of the pilot, in which Issa notices a man on the subway masturbating in her direction and takes justice into her own hands when no one does anything to stop him.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
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However, Walmart has also trimmed some of its tech jobs in the Bay Area this year, WARN notices the company has filed with the state EDD show.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Last year, the company closed more than $6 billion in sales and hired more than 500 agents.—
Liz Ohanesian,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
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The agency’s strategy centers on Korea as its priority, with Japan close behind — two markets that historically haven’t worked with global agents.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Pozzo also eyes a reprise of collaborations, which over the years have seen Wolford partnering with brands such as Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, Missoni, Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Adidas, GCDS and Sergio Rossi, to cite a few.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
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As the hotel eyes its next half century, Skaletsky sees an even bolder approach to hospitality.—
Regan Stephens,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Haaland spots the gap in United’s defence and attacks it, but Reijnders’ pass reaches O’Reilly.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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If one employee spots profanity or offensive language in an application, then it is sent to another employee, and possibly moved up the chain.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sírio-Libanês sees patients from all over the country and the region in South America – including those who typically cannot afford top-tier medical care.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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In the final scene, Cate wakes up in her hospital bed and sees the dead nurses on the floor, as a result of her powers malfunctioning.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spies. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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