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
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
One worker joined the FBI and made a career in counterintelligence, sniffing out Chinese spies.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Desperate to learn what happened, the pair volunteers to become spies in Moscow themselves.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Unsurprisingly, the formula attracts the interest of politicians, spies, and international conspirators, all eager to exploit it for strategic or financial gain.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Just two good old-fashioned American spies, the Soviet Union, the Cold War and a lot of high jinks.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Rather than send the grieving widows back to the States, the head honchos decide to turn them into spies.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 13 Jan. 2026
The pair played former CIA spies.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
One of the most notorious spies in United States history, responsible for the arrest and eventual execution of numerous Soviet and Russian officials secretly working on behalf of the US intelligence community, has died at the age of 84.
—Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
Alma peers through a keyhole and spies her mother (Susanne Wuest) standing before a candlelit shrine to the family’s dead.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
And when Clara spies her classmate Miller Adams (Mason Thames) along the roadside, and decides to give him a ride, the film introduces a next-generation complication-that-isn’t-really-one.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
The Americans stars Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell as Soveit spies posing as an American family during the Cold War.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
One worker joined the FBI and made a career in counterintelligence, sniffing out Chinese spies.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Desperate to learn what happened, the pair volunteers to become spies in Moscow themselves.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Unsurprisingly, the formula attracts the interest of politicians, spies, and international conspirators, all eager to exploit it for strategic or financial gain.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Just two good old-fashioned American spies, the Soviet Union, the Cold War and a lot of high jinks.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Rather than send the grieving widows back to the States, the head honchos decide to turn them into spies.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 13 Jan. 2026
The pair played former CIA spies.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
One of the most notorious spies in United States history, responsible for the arrest and eventual execution of numerous Soviet and Russian officials secretly working on behalf of the US intelligence community, has died at the age of 84.
—Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
When Claire and Frank retreat to Inverness on holiday following the end of WWII, Frank spies the spectre of a Highlander staring up into Claire's window that abruptly vanishes.
—Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
Alma peers through a keyhole and spies her mother (Susanne Wuest) standing before a candlelit shrine to the family’s dead.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
And when Clara spies her classmate Miller Adams (Mason Thames) along the roadside, and decides to give him a ride, the film introduces a next-generation complication-that-isn’t-really-one.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
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
-
Garvey is just one of hundreds of anti-government operatives training agitators to interfere with federal law enforcement.—
Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
His espionage thriller Lioness, which stars Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña as CIA operatives, is in production on its third season.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hart also shared that staying hydrated has been a challenge for her over the years, joking that her husband, musician Mark Wilkerson, notices her dislike for drinking water.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Crockett notices who isn’t there, too.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Now, as investigators searching for Nancy Guthrie focus on possible leads, Schweit and several other former FBI agents say the details released so far suggest the perpetrator likely had prior knowledge of the home or family, and a financial rather than ideological motivation for the crime.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Still, a few hundred departing would leave more than 2,000 agents in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas – a federal force more than three times the size of the Minneapolis Police Department.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Subsequently, the filmmaker became enamored with airplanes and transferred that same fascination onto Lil Ant, who eyes the planes overhead with palpable yearning and, at one point, shoplifts a toy plane from a store.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Talarico’s numbers are notable and underscore the Senate Democratic primary will be hard-fought as the party eyes the chance to flip a Senate seat in the Lone Star State.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For the first time, Anthropic spent millions of dollars on several satiric Super Bowl spots.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
If a camera spots a dog that resembles the missing pet, the pet owner is alerted to a potential match.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There have been no such incidents this year, but there has been plenty of on-court drama that only international team tennis — with home and away ties, and a slot just after a Grand Slam that sees many nations’ top stars resting — can provide.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The fresh tie-up sees the introduction of the new Icon Strap boot, an evolution of the footwear brand’s Icon Low No Lace model.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spies. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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