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
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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
Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The escalating trade war spooked Wall Street once again Friday morning, as futures dipped more than 2 percent on the news.
—Sj Staff, Sourcing Journal, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Cambridge math dons, government spooks, think-tankers, Iraqi archeologists: Of course they’re all caught up in a plot to save or destroy the world.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
The action star may be used to the gore as a veteran of the horror genre, but even he gets spooked out by his own projects.
—Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The escalating trade war spooked Wall Street once again Friday morning, as futures dipped more than 2 percent on the news.
—Sj Staff, Sourcing Journal, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
-
Cassian is now a secret spy for the budding Rebel Alliance.—
Fidel Martinez,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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The payloads included a South Korean military radar spy satellite, a small commercial weather satellite, and the most interesting payload: an experimental reentry vehicle from a German startup named Atmos Space Cargo.—
Abigail Bassett,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His voice is the ghost in the machine, a strangely humane presence amid all the urban-industrial pastoral.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
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In the epic fifth and final season, Joe Goldberg returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after… until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Two years ago, several small-business owners testified to a legislative committee that Americans with Disabilities Act plaintiffs’ lawyers filed spurious complaints, alleging what appeared to be a random list of violations in an attempt to frighten and intimidate the business owner.—
Mark Hillman,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2025
-
This has hallmarks of emotional abuse – non-physical behaviors meant to isolate, control and frighten.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Rather, Nick Badolato, a Brooklyn Conservative Party operative, collected signatures to run on the party’s line against Zhuang.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2025
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In one case, operatives posing as art dealers interested in purchasing a work by a dissident artist secretly installed surveillance equipment in his workplace and a GPS tracker on his car.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For much of its history, the Church has had to defend itself against accusations that levitations, apparitions, and other miracles were not the work of God but that of the devil.—
Emily Harnett,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Todd, the neighbor, even the strange apparitions are obfuscated simply because of their height, which adds to the eerieness of Indy’s experience but also makes Indy’s recognition of Todd’s voice all the more emotional.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Missouri product is a solid route-runner with sure hands, but there are some off-field concerns that could scare teams away.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Apr. 2025
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As the Trump administration arbitrarily revokes and denies student visas, and xenophobic rhetoric scares away potential foreigners, agencies specializing in recruiting students from abroad are facing a sharp downturn.—
Emma Whitford,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In the coming years, agents are widely expected to take over more and more chores on behalf of humans, including using computers and smartphones.—
Will Knight,
Wired News,
16 Apr. 2025
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Now listed for $12 million with Compass agent David Turner, the digs are being sold by Rodman’s widow, Sascha.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Good Americans and all institutions must stand tall to save America – as the spirit of Wallace, the descendants of slave owners, and like-minded folks must not prevail.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2025
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This is a slightly moving target because of the variable ABV of the spirit—a 40 percent whisky will need less sweetness than a 45 or 50 percent whisky—so the above ratio is a guideline based on a 40 or 43 percent scotch.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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