SPY Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

spy 1 of 2

noun

Definition of spy

as in operative

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

spy

2 of 2

verb

ˈspī

as in to spot

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of spy

Noun

He was filled with ambition to see more of the country, write a spy thriller and literally climb more hills. — Andrea Javor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Elordi, for his part, is probably too tall to play a spy, and Dickinson is more invested in his filmmaking career. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

The White House instituted the ban citing the threat of foreign entities potentially spying or conducting sabotage through the robots. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026 Why does English football view spying as a heinous crime while other countries openly admit to using drones to study upcoming opponents? — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spy

Noun

Filming has now begun on location in Malta, with Winstone starring as Alan ‘Razor’ Sharp, a former SAS operative haunted by a botched mission in the 1990s that left his reputation in tatters and his best friend dead.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
The six-part series sees Winstone play Razor, a former SAS operative haunted by a botched mission in the ‘90s that left his reputation in tatters and his best friend dead.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of operative

Verb

Roman will be able to use its coronagraph like a shield against harsh starlight to spot planets that are otherwise difficult to see around other stars and identify them.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
With new digital imaging techniques, astronomers were able to spot a new and tiny world orbiting 4 billion miles beyond Neptune.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of spot

Noun

Rogue OpenAI agents’ unprecedented coordination during the Hugging Face attack significantly increases the risk of AI escaping human control, analysts said, days after investigators released a bombshell report into the incident.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026
This was followed by the creation of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) on July 22 to handle espionage and resistance agents, and the first raids were already being carried out.

— David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of agent

Verb

Last year, Killian was on a list with other campuses that appear to be eyed for closure.

— Austin Horn August 29, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Production is being eyed for November, filming primarily in the Tampa/Clearwater area, where the original Hooters restaurant opened in 1983.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of eye

Noun

Steinem spent 11 days working undercover as a bunny in Manhattan's Playboy Club and documenting her experience.

— Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Federal prosecutors accused Heidi Beirich, an expert on political extremism and a former director of the nonprofit’s intelligence project, of overseeing payments to informants working undercover in a variety of hate groups.

— Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of undercover

Noun

Following the devastating Russian cyberattack of Season 1, the GCHQ team discovers evidence of a mole while a new Chinese cyber threat begins targeting the British government.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
This is partly what propels his mole demi-glace, a convergence of inspirations realized in a duck and smoked chicken stock sharpened by the foundational components of mole.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of mole

Verb

Barclays projects that palm oil, coconut oil, and rubber could rise by 30% to 40% over the next 18 months, coffee could see an additional 20% to 30% surge, and rice could increase by a further 10% to 20%.

— , CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Authorities initially said Saylor’s mother reported that her child had wandered off from a rental home in Hagley Estates in Pawleys Island and was last seen wearing her swimsuit.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of see

Browse Nearby Words

sputum

spy

spying

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Spy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spy. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spy

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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