1
as in spy
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
Russia recalled its spooks after the collapse of the Soviet Union
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
Halloween is the night when spooks and goblins are said to roam abroad
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spook
Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Subsequently, a spy for the U.S. inside Vladimir Putin’s regime was extracted on fears Trump and his team were being sloppy with the nation’s secrets and could put the spook at risk.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025
Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2025
After cooling it for a minute, the President is back in his feud with the Federal Reserve over interest rates, spooking a market that values stability above all else.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Noun
Prouty became an ally of Carto’s and a mentor to the director Oliver Stone, who worked some of his feverish theories of power into the screenplay for JFK—Prouty is the sage, fast-talking spook played by Donald Sutherland.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Subsequently, a spy for the U.S. inside Vladimir Putin’s regime was extracted on fears Trump and his team were being sloppy with the nation’s secrets and could put the spook at risk.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
Birds spooked, birders aghast Paragliders invade Orlando Wetlands!
—Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2025
After cooling it for a minute, the President is back in his feud with the Federal Reserve over interest rates, spooking a market that values stability above all else.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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The season also brings back Monica Barbaro — fresh off her Oscar nomination for A Complete Unknown — as Schwarzenegger’s spy dad’s daughter.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
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Paramount, the studio behind the eighth spy thriller, also hosted premieres in Tokyo and London.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Her mother stalked the perimeter of the grave, faced with a philosophical question: how to take pictures of the ass of a ghost.—
Patricia Lockwood,
New Yorker,
18 May 2025
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One of my first ideas was wondering how a ghost could exist in contemporary society.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2025
Verb
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By sharing a visual insight into their space, Spencer hopes people won’t be frightened by the unknown.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
22 May 2025
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Meanwhile, in the real world, Netflix’s release strategy continues to frighten and confuse.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Mission now accomplished, Kittridge and U.S. Intelligence operative Jasper Briggs (Shea Whigham) — revealed to be the son of Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) from the first Mission — show up with a peace offering for Ethan.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
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Prior to joining the Hunger Games franchise, he was best known for his portrayal of CIA operative Felix Leiter in the James Bond films.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
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At the very end of Season 1, Peacemaker appears to be seeing and hearing his father's apparition; presumably Patrick will continue in that capacity and/or in flashbacks.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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As the music plays, apparitions of shamans and African tribal dancers begin to mingle with the crowd.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The employee said to not shoot the bear and advised him to call Public Safety to scare it away, officials said, adding that what likely attracted the bear to the man’s home were food items, including cat food and unclean grills.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
25 May 2025
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This is the second bill DeSantis has signed in Florida on swatting, or making false police reports to scare victims by sending law enforcement to their home.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
21 May 2025
Noun
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When Mission: Impossible began, and Cruise had not yet completed his transformation into a celluloid being whose veins flowed with red carpets, his character, Ethan Hunt, had more modest concerns, like finding moles in the IMF and protecting the identities of undercover CIA agents.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
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The agents, most of which are set to be available by the end of 2025, can perform a variety of tasks; one handles sourcing and procurement, while another creates and manages quotes and still another orchestrates stock and handles in-store inventory details.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
23 May 2025
Noun
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This workaround defeats the spirit of the deferral rules.—
Andre Pennington,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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Balan’s Manjulika, a 19th century royal court dancer who returns as an unforgiving spirit to avenge her murder, strikes a balance between fragility and fury.—
Sunil Sadarangani,
Deadline,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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