SPY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for SPY?

Need another word that means the same as “spy”? Find 43 synonyms and 30 related words for “spy” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Spy” are: secret agent, enemy agent, secret service agent, intelligence agent, double agent, counterspy, fifth columnist, mole, plant, scout, descry, espy, spot, sleuth, snoop, stag, sight, eavesdropping, be a spy, be engaged in spying, gather intelligence, work for the secret service, observe furtively, keep under surveillance, watch, keep a watch on, keep an eye on, keep under observation, follow, shadow, trail, notice, observe, see, catch sight of, glimpse, catch a glimpse of, get a glimpse of, make out, discern, pick out, detect, have sight of

Spy as a Noun

Definitions of "Spy" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “spy” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people.
• A person employed by a government or other organization to secretly obtain information on an enemy or competitor.
• A person who keeps watch on others secretly.
• A secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors.
• (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 of "Spy" as a noun (10 Words)

counterspy	A spy engaged in counter-espionage.
double agent	Someone who closely resembles a famous person (especially an actor.
enemy agent	A personal enemy.
fifth columnist	Position five in a countable series of things.
intelligence agent	Information about recent and important events.
mole	The molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d Unites. The company is hunting for the mole who revealed details of planned job cuts.
plant	A small plant as distinct from a shrub or tree. He claimed that the evidence against him was a plant.
scout	A honeybee that searches for a new site for a swarm to settle or for a new food source. Brock slid the ball in from 14 yards to impress watching scouts.
secret agent	Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained.
secret service agent	Information known only to a special group.

Usage Examples of "Spy" as a noun

• A spy camera.

Spy as a Verb

Definitions of "Spy" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “spy” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Collect information about something to use in deciding how to act.
• Secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage.
• Observe (someone) furtively.
• Catch sight of.
• Watch, observe, or inquire secretly.
• Discern or make out, especially by careful observation.
• Catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes.
• Work for a government or other organization by secretly obtaining information about enemies or competitors.

Synonyms of "Spy" as a verb (33 Words)

be a spy	Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function.
be engaged in spying	Be priced at.
catch a glimpse of	Attract; cause to be enamored.
catch sight of	Perceive by hearing.
descry	Catch sight of. She descried two figures.
detect	Discern (something intangible or barely perceptible. The public can help the police to detect crime.
discern	Detect with the senses. Pupils quickly discern what is acceptable to the teacher.
eavesdropping	Listen without the speaker’s knowledge.
espy	Catch sight of. She espied her daughter rounding the corner.
follow	Follow discover or ascertain the course of development of something. She followed his gaze peering into the gloom.
gather intelligence	Collect or gather.
get a glimpse of	Perceive by hearing.
glimpse	Catch a glimpse of or see briefly. He glimpsed a figure standing in the shade.
have sight of	Achieve a point or goal.
keep a watch on	Supply with necessities and support.
keep an eye on	Supply with necessities and support.
keep under observation	Look after; be the keeper of; have charge of.
keep under surveillance	Conform one’s action or practice to.
make out	To compose or represent.
notice	Notice or perceive. I noticed that she was looking tired.
observe	Observe with care or pay close attention to. Please observe the reaction of these two chemicals.
observe furtively	Stick to correctly or closely.
pick out	Remove in small bits.
see	See and understand have a good eye. Did you know that she is seeing an older man.
shadow	Envelop in shadow cast a shadow over. The market is shadowed by St Margaret s church.
sight	Take a detailed visual measurement of something with or as with a sight. He had to sight along the planks in the proper order to get the line right.
sleuth	Discover by careful investigation. There s nothing you can do but sleuth around until you find the answer.
snoop	Watch, observe, or inquire secretly. Your sister might find the ring if she goes snooping about.
spot	Become spotted. The men were spotted by police.
stag	Watch, observe, or inquire secretly. I stagged them off and burned the ends then tucked them away.
trail	(typically of a plant) grow or hang over the edge of something or along the ground. The bride s veiled trailed along the ground.
watch	See or watch. Watch out for broken glass.
work for the secret service	Behave in a certain way when handled.

Usage Examples of "Spy" as a verb

• Spy for the Russians.
• He agreed to spy for the West.
• The couple were spied on by reporters.
• He would go and spy out the land.
• He could spy a figure in the distance.

Associations of "Spy" (30 Words)

apostate	Not faithful to religion or party or cause. After fifty years as an apostate he returned to the faith.
betray	Treacherously reveal (information. The spy betrayed his country.
betrayal	An act of deliberate betrayal. These developments represented a betrayal of democracy.
betrayer	One who reveals confidential information in return for money.
clandestine	Kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit. She deserved better than these clandestine meetings.
concealment	The condition of being concealed or hidden. He darted forwards from the concealment of the bushes.
covert	Being under the protection of her husband. A woman covert.
defector	A person who abandons their duty (as on a military post. Staff interviewed escapees and defectors to the West.
disguised	Having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading. The disguised form of aggression available to the powerless against the powerful.
espionage	The systematic use of spies to get military or political secrets. The camouflage and secrecy of espionage.
furtive	Suggestive of guilty nervousness. A furtive manner.
hidden	Designed to elude detection. A hidden room or place of concealment such as a priest hole.
infiltrate	Pass through an enemy line; in a military conflict. Computing has infiltrated most professions now.
infiltration	A process in which individuals (or small groups) penetrate an area (especially the military penetration of enemy positions without detection. The infiltration of seawater through the lava.
investigate	Investigate scientifically. The district attorney s office investigated reports of possible irregularities.
operative	Being in force or having or exerting force. Wounds needing operative treatment.
percolate	(of coffee) be prepared in a percolator. Percolate coffee.
rebel	A person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority especially in the hope of improving conditions. As I came over the hill my legs rebelled I could walk no further.
renegade	Become a renegade. He was a renegade and social malcontent.
secret	Of information given in confidence or in secret. The secret of a happy marriage is compromise.
sneak	Someone who prowls or sneaks about usually with unlawful intentions. A sneak thief.
snitch	Someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police. They thought he was a plant or a snitch.
stealthy	Behaving or done in a cautious and surreptitious manner, so as not to be seen or heard. Stealthy footsteps.
surreptitious	Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of. Surreptitious mobilization of troops.
traitor	A person who betrays someone or something, such as a friend, cause, or principle. He was a traitor to his own class.
turncoat	A disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc. They denounced him as a turncoat.
ulterior	Lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed (especially being kept in the background or deliberately concealed)- Bertrand Russell. Without ulterior argument.
undercover	Involving secret work within a community or organization, especially for the purposes of police investigation or espionage. An undercover investigation.
underground	An underground railway especially the one in London. Czech underground literature.
watchdog	A guardian or defender against theft or illegal practices or waste. How can we watchdog our investments.