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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spook
John Kell,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
In the Neighborhood, but that score is really eerie as well, with some real moments of spook.
—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
But something new has begun to spook investors.
—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Anthropic spooks cyber firms; eyes IPO.
—
John Kell,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
In the Neighborhood, but that score is really eerie as well, with some real moments of spook.
—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
Some market analysts pointed to worries sparked by Google (GOOG) and SpaceX (SPCX) falling somewhat sharply the previous day while others suggested that investors had been spooked by likely forthcoming rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.
—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
But something new has begun to spook investors.
—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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Russia is essentially trying to build a closed, spy-friendly, domestic version of the Internet.
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Brown and Harbour are set to star in and executive produce an upcoming spy drama show from A24 that has received a straight-to-series order at Netflix.
Noun
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There are legends of ghost sightings and spooky happenings on the dirt road, like the woman who reportedly wanders it in the dark, crying out for her children.
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The ghosts of 1982 Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick was asked multiple times at a news conference Friday outside of Arrowhead Stadium about that shocking game at the 1982 World Cup.
Verb
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At the time of writing, as the Marine Traffic map shows, tanker traffic is barely moving through the Strait, and many ships, unable to obtain insurance or with their owners frightened at the level of risk involved, are refusing to advance.
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But because the president has frightened Congress, Congress doesn’t raise its voice when the president puts his Albert Speer–like building project, or intends to, on Congress’s land.
Noun
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In the prosecutor’s statement, the suspect is alleged to have photographed sensitive sites in Israel and then sold the images to an Iranian operative for up to hundreds of dollars.
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Political operatives tied to Florida Power & Light’s parent company were involved in the scandal, and a former Republican state senator was convicted of violating campaign finance laws.
Noun
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Reports of strange sounds, apparitions, and unexplained encounters continue to attract visitors.
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Why then, when discussing body image after weight changes, is our culture reaching for the language of vexing apparitions and death?
Verb
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There was one American flag sign lit, with some storefront decor gleaming red, white and blue, but the heat seemingly scared most away from celebrating July 4 before Saturday's big day.
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Johnson says Monday was her first time on the Wild Mouse attraction; however, the experience did not scare her away from the park.
Noun
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But the fear of being snatched by ICE agents remains, Neel said.
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In all 11 host cities, federal agents are leading operations to keep drones away from match-day crowds.
Noun
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If American music in 1976 represented a collective, inquisitive, inventive American spirit of discovery, the semiquincentennial in the age of social media has become more about the individual identity.
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The spirit of a '90s summer vacation is alive and well in tropics-print caftans like this fresh-off-the-runway one from SHAN's SS27 Collection.
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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