spook 1 of 2

noun

ˈspük How to pronounce spook (audio)
Definition of spooknext
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

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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

spook

2 of 2

verb

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

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 spook
Noun
Anthropic spooks cyber firms; eyes IPO. — John Kell, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026 Spies are back, at least according to rising star Agnes O’Casey, who is playing four agent roles this year and who unsurprisingly has some thoughts about the most famous spook of all. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Romanch Mahajan, who was visiting New York City from India with his family, suffered fatal injuries when the horse became spooked and bolted off. — Ronn Blitzer , Tessa Hoyos, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026 At the same time, China’s auto industry is spooking established automakers in North America, Europe and Asia, according to AlixPartners. — Bill Koenig, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
  1. spy
  2. ghost
  3. frighten
  4. operative
  5. apparition
  6. scare
  7. agent
  8. spirit
Noun
  • As expected, Carly didn’t take the bait, reproaching Z for referring to her daughter by her last name, spy style.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026
  • Outside of spy movies, documents rarely self-destruct after they’re read — and fortunately for mathematicians, proofs are no exception.
    — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 6 July 2026
Definition of spy
Noun
  • The same applies to the Lake of Tears, which seemed really important when Jim’s ghost showed up to tell Ethan to find it.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • The English have to contend with not only the ghost of Maradona’s two goals, but also the altitude in Mexico City, which is about 7,350 feet above sea level.
    — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of ghost
Verb
  • At the time of writing, as the Marine Traffic map shows, tanker traffic is barely moving through the Strait, and many ships, unable to obtain insurance or with their owners frightened at the level of risk involved, are refusing to advance.
    — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • But because the president has frightened Congress, Congress doesn’t raise its voice when the president puts his Albert Speer–like building project, or intends to, on Congress’s land.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
Definition of frighten
Noun
  • In the prosecutor’s statement, the suspect is alleged to have photographed sensitive sites in Israel and then sold the images to an Iranian operative for up to hundreds of dollars.
    — Sophia Mandt, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2026
  • Political operatives tied to Florida Power & Light’s parent company were involved in the scandal, and a former Republican state senator was convicted of violating campaign finance laws.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 June 2026
Definition of operative
Noun
  • Reports of strange sounds, apparitions, and unexplained encounters continue to attract visitors.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
  • Why then, when discussing body image after weight changes, is our culture reaching for the language of vexing apparitions and death?
    — Virgie Tovar, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Definition of apparition
Verb
  • There was one American flag sign lit, with some storefront decor gleaming red, white and blue, but the heat seemingly scared most away from celebrating July 4 before Saturday's big day.
    — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Johnson says Monday was her first time on the Wild Mouse attraction; however, the experience did not scare her away from the park.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of scare
Noun
  • These gateways address growing concerns about ungoverned AI agents directly interacting with production systems, offering vital governance, security, cost management, and observability.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • The agent confiscated the letter, carried by Cuban businessman Roberto Carlos Chamizo, and sent him back to Havana.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of agent
Noun
  • If American music in 1976 represented a collective, inquisitive, inventive American spirit of discovery, the semiquincentennial in the age of social media has become more about the individual identity.
    — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The spirit of a '90s summer vacation is alive and well in tropics-print caftans like this fresh-off-the-runway one from SHAN's SS27 Collection.
    — Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of spirit

Browse Nearby Words

spoofs
spook
spooked
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Cite this Entry

“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of spook for Spanish Speakers

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