Synonyms for spy
spaɪspy

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 3 votes

1. spy

   The scout and the spy are both employed to obtain information of the numbers, movements, etc., of an enemy. The scout lurks on the outskirts of the hostile army with such concealment as the case admits of, but without disguise; a spy enters in disguise within the enemy's lines. A scout, if captured, has the rights of a prisoner of war; a spy is held to have forfeited all rights, and is liable, in case of capture, to capital punishment. An emissary is rather political than military; sent rather to secretly influence opponents than to bring information concerning them; so far as he does the latter, he is not only an emissary, but a spy.

   Synonyms:
   detective, emissary, scout

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.5 / 2 votes

1. spyverb

   Synonyms:
   see, espy, discern, discover, explore, view, inspect

   Antonyms:
   miss, overlook, misexplore, misobserve

2. spynoun

   Synonyms:
   emissary, detective, scout

   Antonyms:
   sentinel, watchman, warder, patrol

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. spy, undercover agentnoun

   (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors

   Synonyms:
   undercover agent

2. spyverb

   a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people

   "my spies tell me that you had a good time last night"

   Synonyms:
   undercover agent

3. descry, spot, espy, spyverb

   catch sight of

   Synonyms:
   blob, blemish, snoop, recognize, stag, sight, descry, fleck, espy, pick out, sleuth, recognise, distinguish, tell apart, make out, blot, discern, spot

4. spy, stag, snoop, sleuthverb

   watch, observe, or inquire secretly

   Synonyms:
   snoop, give away, shit, stag, sight, shop, betray, espy, sleuth, rat, snitch, denounce, tell on, grass, spot, descry

5. spy, sightverb

   catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes

   "he caught sight of the king's men coming over the ridge"

   Synonyms:
   spot, stag, sight, descry, sleuth, espy, snoop

6. spyverb

   secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage

   "spy for the Russians"

   Synonyms:
   spot, espy, snoop, stag, sight, sleuth, descry

Matched Categories

1. • Investigate
   • Perceive

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. spynoun

   Synonyms:
   scout, emissary (in disguise), secret agent

2. spyverb

   Synonyms:
   see, behold, discern, espy

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. spynoun

   Synonyms:
   scout, emissary (disguised)

2. spyverb

   Synonyms:
   espy, see

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "spy":

   espionage, spying, spies, hyena, spook, eavesdropping, mole, intelligence

Suggested Resources

1. spy

   Song lyrics by spy -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by spy on the Lyrics.com website.

2. SPY

   What does SPY stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the SPY acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce spy?

How to say spy in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use spy in a sentence?

1. Paul Whelan:

   Normally when you have a spy exchange, you have spies on both sides, but now, you have a fake spy on one side and arms dealers on the other. It just doesnt work.

2. Dennis Hu:

   The ban is based on a simple presumption : If you have been to a certain school, you will be targeted and labeled as a spy, i think it's a policy of discrimination based on nationality.

3. Christopher Steele:

   A footnote saying something may be political is a far cry from letting the American people know that the Democrats and the Hillary (Clinton) campaign paid for dirt that the FBI then used to get a warrant on an American citizen to spy on another campaign.

4. Melissa Dalton:

   Because we have not yet been able to definitively assess what these recent objects are, we have acted out of an abundance of caution to protect our security and interests, the spy balloon from (China) was of course different in that we knew precisely what (it) was. These most recent objects do not pose a kinetic military threat, but their path in proximity to sensitive (defense) sites and the altitude that they were flying could be a hazard to civilian aviation and thus raised concerns.

5. Daniela Tejada:

   The Foreign Office know this and have made The Foreign Office clear to the The UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for The UAE authorities, this whole case has been handled appallingly from the very beginning with no one taking Matthew's case seriously.