spy

1 of 2

verb

spied; spying

transitive verb

1
: to watch secretly usually for hostile purposes
2
: to catch sight of : see
3
: to search or look for intensively
usually used with out
spy out places fit for vending … goodsS. E. Morison

intransitive verb

1
: to observe or search for something : look
2
: to watch secretly as a spy

spy

2 of 2

noun

plural spies
1
: one that spies:
a
: one who keeps secret watch on a person or thing to obtain information
b
: a person employed by one nation to secretly convey classified information of strategic importance to another nation
also : a person who conveys the trade secrets of one company to another
2
: an act of spying

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
Her first big ballad has hung on to its standing as her best big ballad, a soaring emotional prom theme for the ages that somehow breathes new life into a premise as cliched as spying someone hot across a crowded dance floor and moving in for the kill. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 Ironically, the best evidence that Oppenheimer never spied for the Russians comes from Soviet intelligence sources. TIME, 8 Mar. 2024 Before the mists part and reveal her new home, the family spies two giant stone dragons, the lanterns in their gaping jaws guiding travelers into the bay. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Hostile activity in cyberspace — from spying to the planting of malware to infect and disrupt a country's infrastructure — has become a hallmark of modern geopolitical rivalry. Colleen Long, Quartz, 21 Feb. 2024 Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s conjugal coat of arms has been spied online shortly after a royal crest on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new website caused a commotion. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s fight to evade extradition from Britain to the United States to face spying charges may be nearing an end, after years of legal challenges. Maite Fernández Simon, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 He had been accused of spying for a country China had not publicly identified and the details of the case against him are unknown. Reuters, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2024 The disclosure probably won’t surprise anyone, given that former NSA contractor Edward Snowden exposed the agency’s spying activities back in 2013. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 26 Jan. 2024
Noun
Despite the war raging around it, the city’s French concession is decadent and full of spies. Patrick Frater, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 In the 1960s, secret test flights of advanced government spy planes generated U.F.O. sightings. Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Buy Now 05 of 18 'Kushiel’s Dart' by Jacqueline Carey An absolute classic of dark romantic fantasy, anchored by an incredible heroine who is part spy, part courtesan and all courageous heart. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Disney+ is adding another series to its fast-growing Korean drama library, picking up the action spy show The Tyrant. Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024 In wake of Ukraine war, U.S. and allies are hunting down Russian spies The indictment does not include any information about the identity of the person Slater corresponded with on the dating website or their country of origin. Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Sporty Paradise: Camp, hike, climb glaciers, parasail, spy wildlife. Laura Manske, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 While an American has yet to take up the 007 mantle, not every actor who's played the famous spy comes from British origins: Sean Connery was Scottish, Pierce Brosnan is Irish, and George Lazenby is Australian. Shania Russell, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024 Edward Snowden’s 2013 leaks showed that, for a time, spy agencies could get data from digital advertisers by tapping fiber-optic cables or internet choke points. Byron Tau, WIRED, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English spien, from Anglo-French espier, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German spehōn to spy; akin to Latin specere to look, look at, Greek skeptesthai & skopein to watch, look at, consider

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spy was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near spy

Cite this Entry

“Spy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spy

1 of 2 verb
spied; spying
1
: to watch, inspect, or examine secretly : act as a spy
2
: to catch sight of : see
spied a friend in the crowd

spy

2 of 2 noun
plural spies
1
: one that watches the movement or actions of others especially in secret
2
: a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country

More from Merriam-Webster on spy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!