espionage

noun

ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh How to pronounce espionage (audio)
Definition of espionagenext
as in spying
the secret gathering of information on others the acts of espionage on behalf of the Confederacy carried on by Belle Boyd and Rose Greenhow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example 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 espionage The complaint does not charge him with espionage, theft of trade secrets, or acting as an agent of a foreign government, a point his defense stressed in its motion. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 The 35-year-old Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former engineering lead and Saudi national, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly trying to commit corporate espionage. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026 In March 2023, Evan Gershkovich, a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, was arrested by Russian Security forces and charged with espionage. — Monitor Reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026 Chen is a seismologist detained in 2024 and charged with espionage. — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for espionage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espionage
spying
Noun
  • But the Pentagon doesn’t have a great track record with human spying.
    — Zach Dorfman, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The spying is alleged to have taken place between roughly June and September 2025, prosecutors claim.
    — David Douglas, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of spying

Browse Nearby Words

espies
espionage
esplanade
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Espionage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espionage. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on espionage

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about espionage

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All