1
as in spy
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
Russia recalled its spooks after the collapse of the Soviet Union
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
Halloween is the night when spooks and goblins are said to roam abroad
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spook
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 14 July 2024
Read on for what the cosmos have in store for your zodiac sign this Halloween amid Scorpio season, according to PEOPLE's resident astrologer Kyle Thomas
Comments
There's a spook in the stars!
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Trade war looms Overseas shipments this year have represented a rare bright spot in the Chinese economy, with domestic spending mired in a slump and persistent woes in the property sector spooking investors.
—Peter Catterall, Fortune Asia, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spook 
Noun
But Fly Me to the Moon barely develops its lead characters, played by Johansson and Channing Tatum, so what chance does Harrelson have in playing anything more than a one-dimensional spook?
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 14 July 2024
Read on for what the cosmos have in store for your zodiac sign this Halloween amid Scorpio season, according to PEOPLE's resident astrologer Kyle Thomas
Comments
There's a spook in the stars!
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
Some comments under the video show viewers spooked by the scene, weighing in on whether the leg movement was a result of some kind of paranormal intervention or not.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Trade war looms Overseas shipments this year have represented a rare bright spot in the Chinese economy, with domestic spending mired in a slump and persistent woes in the property sector spooking investors.
—Peter Catterall, Fortune Asia, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
-
Marianne Faithfull's father was once a spy; her mother a pence-less baroness.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
1 Feb. 2025
-
Wanting to sacrifice the former sacrifice No, most parents aren't former spies, but having to choose between work and parenting is a struggle many can relate to.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Weathered homes built in Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, and Queen Anne styles line Hemphill like ghosts from a thriving era.—
Richard J. Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Feb. 2025
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Anyone who saw Chris McKim’s kinetic 2020 documentary collage about the late David Wojnarowicz more than likely was haunted also by the other ghost very much present in that film, Peter Hujar.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Stepping out from a white van, the Israeli civilian looked gaunt and frightened.—
Mick Krever,
CNN,
30 Jan. 2025
-
Julie Contreras, who is a pastor and part of United Giving Hope, a longtime immigration rights advocacy organization, said her time in church Sunday was spent comforting parishioners who were frightened by the ICE activity.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Saturday's operation followed military airstrikes on Jan. 30 in northwest Syria, killing a senior operative in Hurras al-Din, an al-Qaida affiliate, U.S. Central Command said.—
TARA COPP,
arkansasonline.com,
2 Feb. 2025
-
In a statement, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the strikes targeting ISIS-Somalia operatives in the Golis mountains occurred in coordination with the Somali government.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA TODAY,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
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There’s a kind of Gothic quality to the apparitions, calling to mind Edward Gorey figures, but all smeared and melted and smudged.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2025
-
There have been no sightings, no fleeting apparitions.—
David Ornstein,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
All these precautions are not meant to scare people, Tetro and Gerba said, but to inform.—
Melanie Radzicki McManus,
CNN,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Because these WMAs are designed to provide two conflicting services — to maintain wildlife habitat and to offer recreation, including hunting opportunities that may scare the birds away — no one really knows how the resident geese perceive the situation.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Murphy died Sunday of cancer at his home in Kent, England, his agent, Thomas Bowington, announced.—
Mike Barnes,
The Hollywood Reporter,
4 Feb. 2025
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The department said more than 100,000 people are expected to be in New Orleans in and around the arena to celebrate the game, and nearly 700 DHS agents are on site to help secure the event.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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On the cruise’s opening day, strong winds on the high seas did not stop the spirit from delivering.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 Feb. 2025
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Midway through the film, a scene of cotton being harvested and shaped into a trailer-length bale is underscored by a deep grumbling that suggests machinery, and vocals that hint at spirit (original music by Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe).—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near spook
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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