as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
out of the corner of my eye I espied the squirrel making another raid on the bird feeder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 espy
The film’s comedy is built from a series of infinitesimal touches and chance intrusions, as when Édouard, espying Charles in the street, leaps from his seat at a sidewalk café and jostles a waiter bearing drinks.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024
Imprisoned by the Duke of Athens, the cousins espy the beautiful Emilia from their cell—and each man falls immediately in love.
—Andrea Mays, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
If a basket-hanger was espied by the recipient, the recipient would give chase and try to steal a kiss from the basket-hanger.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2024
Images taken from different realities, different spaces, times, places that have been sort of cut out and pasted together to create a new scene that depicts something that no human eye would ever have espied.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2023
Resentful 1970s émigrés were prodding the West to espy its true enemy not in communism, but in an irredeemable Russia.
—Ignat Solzhenitsyn, WSJ, 23 Oct. 2020
The cub tried to sneak up on him, but was quickly espied by the older lion.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 20 June 2019
For instance, visitors can scan through an electronic infographic for terrariums filled with camouflaging Gulf Coast toads, then head outside onto more than 2 miles of dirt and boardwalk trails to espy the bayou's flora and fauna.
—Beau Evans, NOLA.com, 6 Oct. 2017
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024
Imprisoned by the Duke of Athens, the cousins espy the beautiful Emilia from their cell—and each man falls immediately in love.
—Andrea Mays, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
If a basket-hanger was espied by the recipient, the recipient would give chase and try to steal a kiss from the basket-hanger.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2024
Images taken from different realities, different spaces, times, places that have been sort of cut out and pasted together to create a new scene that depicts something that no human eye would ever have espied.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2023
Resentful 1970s émigrés were prodding the West to espy its true enemy not in communism, but in an irredeemable Russia.
—Ignat Solzhenitsyn, WSJ, 23 Oct. 2020
The cub tried to sneak up on him, but was quickly espied by the older lion.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 20 June 2019
For instance, visitors can scan through an electronic infographic for terrariums filled with camouflaging Gulf Coast toads, then head outside onto more than 2 miles of dirt and boardwalk trails to espy the bayou's flora and fauna.
—Beau Evans, NOLA.com, 6 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espy
Verb
-
Zoom in: Waste Knot Needlepoint owner Lori Mazza started noticing an influx of customers during the pandemic.Brianna Crane, Axios, 7 Dec. 2024
-
The ultimate goal will be for consumers to notice any difference and to an iPhone that ‘just works’.Ewan Spence, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
On December 5, the 29-year-old model was seen in a dressed down fall uniform that was, well, both in and out of my price range.Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
-
This legacy in racing has seen the team achieve strong successes, including their first win in 2000 with Robbie Buhl, and a history of fielding prominent drivers such as Al Unser Jr., Sarah Fisher, and Ryan Hunter-Reay.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Garner have been spotted in them, and this cozy style with glimmering sequins will add a little extra sparkle to your winter shoedrobe.Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Some of the drones, or multiple sightings of the same drone, have been spotted over military installations and other sensitive sites such as President-elect Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The Harry Potter series is likely to not even begin filming until 2026, eyeing a 2027 release date.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
-
Some seemed camera shy, eyeing the person filming to get out of their space, while others sniffed the camera out of curiosity.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near espy
Cite this Entry
“Espy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espy. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share