spy
verb
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Definition of spy
(Entry 1 of 2)
spy
nounDefinition of spy (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for spy
Synonyms: Verb
behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, view, witness
Synonyms: Noun
agent, asset, emissary, intelligencer, mole, operative, spook, undercover
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Examples of spy in a Sentence
Verb
They were accused of spying for a foreign government. I spy a motel off in the distance, so let's spend the night there.Noun
He was a spy for the CIA. My coworker is a spy for the boss.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Parly also expressed concerns about an attempt by a Russian satellite to spy on French space assets. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "To protect its satellites, France outlines ambitious space-weapons program," 25 July 2019 And earlier this year, TechCrunch published a report detailing how used an app called Research to observe every move users made on their phones in order to spy on the competition. — Caitlin Kelly, WIRED, "FTC Reportedly Hits Facebook With Record $5 Billion Settlement," 12 July 2019 The raid on the home of Smethurst, the political editor of Sydney’s The Sunday Telegraph newspaper, focused on a 2018 story detailing an alleged government proposal to spy on Australian citizens, which cannot currently be done legally. — Nick Perry, BostonGlobe.com, "Australian opposition calls for review of press freedom," 12 June 2019 The Sydney raid came a day after federal police searched the Canberra home of a News Corp. journalist over a 2018 story detailing an alleged government proposal to spy on Australians. — Fox News, "Australian Broadcasting Corp. head concerned by police raid," 7 June 2019 One way to find out is to set up a pet cam to spy on kitty at home. — Karin Brulliard, Anchorage Daily News, "Catcam videos reveal cats don’t sleep all day," 6 June 2019 The raid in a suburb of Sydney came a day after federal police searched the Canberra home of Annika Smethurst, the political editor of The Sunday Telegraph of Sydney, over a 2018 story detailing an alleged government proposal to spy on Australians. — NBC News, "Police raid Australian public broadcaster over Afghan leak," 5 June 2019 This month, look for ancient bits of Halley’s comet raining down on Earth, along with a series of eye-catching planetary pairings and a chance to spy on a gorgeous swarm of stars. — Andrew Fazekas, National Geographic, "Famous meteors peak, and more top stargazing events in May," 1 May 2019 In Venice, as Peter is about to buy a Black Dahlia necklace for MJ (Zendaya), the villain can be seen in the background spying on the young hero incognito. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "Spider-Man: Far From Home," 24 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Despite its distinction as the only public list of zero day values, Zerodium's price chart doesn't necessarily represent what zero-day buyers like law enforcement and spy agencies might actually pay for fresh hacking tools. — Wired, "Why 'Zero Day' Android Hacking Now Costs More Than iOS Attacks," 3 Sep. 2019 Same with Lewerke’s scrambling under duress, which will be eliminated as opponents begin to use a spy on him again. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State's offense must show progress or risk losing fans — and a few games," 1 Sep. 2019 Also, keep your eyes and ears open: spies -- rebels, the First Order -- are everywhere. — Joey Morona, cleveland.com, "Disney World’s Star Wars hotel looks out of this world... and super expensive," 26 Aug. 2019 Perfect for a jet-setting spy or a modern-day celebrity. — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Sofia Richie Got a Brand New Car from Scott Disick for Her 21st Birthday," 26 Aug. 2019 Trinity is basically invisible, which makes her the perfect spy, right? — Sydney Scott, Essence, "Ashley Nicole Black Is An Unforgettable Forgettable Spy," 15 Aug. 2019 In the 19th century, scores of explorers, spies, missionaries, and Buddhist devotees had tried to reach Lhasa, but only three had made it. — Ailsa Ross, Longreads, "Mountains, Transcending," 9 Aug. 2019 Mr Warner’s assignment overseeing the world of spies, shadow diplomacy and cyber-espionage has allowed him to develop an unlikely skill set for a politician whose background in business has made him a voice on taxation, finance and regulation. — J.s. | Richmond, The Economist, "Senator Mark Warner of Virginia appears to be heading for a third term," 1 Aug. 2019 Stories about parachuting spies, that included Kumar, did frenetic rounds of Delhi. — Salman Khurshid, Quartz India, "Rumours, suspicions, fears: What Indian Muslims have battled since Independence," 26 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for spy
spy
verb
English Language Learners Definition of spy
(Entry 1 of 2)
spy
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of spy (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for spy in the English Language Learners Dictionary