as in spotted
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
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Recent Examples of spied
More accolades followed, as Wyatt's steamy Bold entrance on a 2013 episode (being spied naked in an outdoor shower by Kim Matula's Hope Logan) announced a major new player in the soap's setting in the cutthroat Los Angeles fashion industry.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
Toulouse spied potential, not the finished article.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 13 May 2026
For years, the rover ascended a feature called Mount Sharp within the crater, aiming to reach clay-rich layers that orbiters circling the planet had spied.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
And Mindi said at one point she was being spied upon.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Residents near Hereford House who spied the visitors that morning may have wondered what their arrival portended for the town.
—Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026
But there’s no snow on the 101 Freeway near Thousand Oaks — which might come as a surprise to those who spied an errant travel alert from the California Department of Transportation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The moon's immense shadow was also spied by South Korea's GEO-KOMPSAT-2A weather satellite from its perch 22,370 miles (36,000 km) above Earth in geostationary orbit, close to the shadowy line of the night-day terminator.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The organization added that Stone spied Mo on the red carpet, posed for a few photos with the pup, and then decided the dog would be the perfect pet for her youngest son, Quinn.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
Toulouse spied potential, not the finished article.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 13 May 2026
For years, the rover ascended a feature called Mount Sharp within the crater, aiming to reach clay-rich layers that orbiters circling the planet had spied.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
And Mindi said at one point she was being spied upon.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Residents near Hereford House who spied the visitors that morning may have wondered what their arrival portended for the town.
—Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026
But there’s no snow on the 101 Freeway near Thousand Oaks — which might come as a surprise to those who spied an errant travel alert from the California Department of Transportation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The moon's immense shadow was also spied by South Korea's GEO-KOMPSAT-2A weather satellite from its perch 22,370 miles (36,000 km) above Earth in geostationary orbit, close to the shadowy line of the night-day terminator.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The organization added that Stone spied Mo on the red carpet, posed for a few photos with the pup, and then decided the dog would be the perfect pet for her youngest son, Quinn.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spied
Verb
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As Toomey looked for a seat to watch the race that day at Balboa Stadium, he was spotted by his old cross-country coach at Palo Alto High School, Forrest Jamieson.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Two other robots approach an indistinct tree line, and devastating blasts follow, the unit saying Russian positions had been spotted there earlier.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Among those who noticed was Land O' Lakes, which reached out with a surprise package for the birthday girl.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
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According to the probable cause statement, Kirkpatrick, the witness and the victim were in the residence’s master bedroom when the victim noticed Kirkpatrick had allegedly taken his keys, wallet and cellphone, according to the probable cause statement.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Moving a blade back and forth to try to saw biscuits apart will make their layers stick (and ruin the rise).—
Ella Quittner,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
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Ruggeri says that, in comparison to saw palmetto, which gets far more attention.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump’s past reports have been criticized for offering scant detail and reporting statistics that some medical experts eyed with skepticism.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
-
Trump’s past reports have been criticized for offering scant detail and providing statistics that some medical experts eyed with skepticism.—
Collin Binkley,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The lens widened further to embrace categories of practice not conventionally regarded as art, most prominently, craft; here, too, the art establishment focused on textiles and ceramics engaged with an existing modernism, as opposed to the 1970s focus on regional and communal networks.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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The 2001-02 squad set a franchise record with 61 wins and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where Sacramento pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in a series widely regarded as one of the most memorable in NBA playoff history.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spied. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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