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
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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
as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of spook
Skyler Caruso, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Even no-nonsense John Wayne once spotted a spook at Monte V. A crying baby often chases workers from the basement.
—Roger Naylor and Scott Craven, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024
Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Dec. 2024
The looming economic and political crises has spooked markets, with French borrowing costs briefly rising above those of Greece on Monday.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spook 
Noun
Read on for what the cosmos have in store for your zodiac sign this Halloween amid Scorpio season, according to PEOPLE's resident astrologer Kyle Thomas
Comments
There's a spook in the stars!
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Even no-nonsense John Wayne once spotted a spook at Monte V. A crying baby often chases workers from the basement.
—Roger Naylor and Scott Craven, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
But the deer had spooked (likely from the sound of the ATV, Laleman thinks).
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Dec. 2024
The looming economic and political crises has spooked markets, with French borrowing costs briefly rising above those of Greece on Monday.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spook
Noun
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Netflix has also dropped a very festive teaser for (the upcoming) season 2 of the spy series.Charley Ross, Glamour, 20 Dec. 2024
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It's based on a French series, Le Bureau, possibly one of the best TV series of all time, but with differences in tone: Le Bureau's headquarters was a crowded warren of conference rooms and offices, which kept you tightly focused on the spies' intricate moves.Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Kelly Clarkson isn’t visiting any ghosts of Christmas past this holiday season.Latoya Gayle, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
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After the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future visit him, reality sets in.Nicole Russell, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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There is nothing frail or frightened about his Scrooge.Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
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The narrative arc of Ghosts follows a gentleman mysteriously endowed with supernatural abilities that frighten the residents of a phantom town.Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Hezbollah operatives had become suspicious that the pagers might be sabotaged, according to several officials.Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
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Israel's military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group.Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Reports of mysterious kicks on the seats of the building's Regal movie theater, eerie laughter and ghostly apparitions are frequently tied to the building.Madalyn Mendoza, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
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Since the 1920s, apparition of a young woman has been seen hitchhiking here, only to disappear when drivers come to her aid.Elizabeth Friend, Longreads, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The 2x Oscar nominee, who co-wrote and directed the 2005 Johnny Cash pic Walk the Line, has not been scared off from paying cinematic tribute to other legendary musicians after the parody Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007).Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2024
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High prices could scare off would-be investors, but momentum abounds.Max Zahn, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Chinese researchers quickly isolated and sequenced the causative agent, a novel coronavirus initially named 2019-nCoV.Dave Wessner, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
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There are action sequences, including a harrowing escape of agents stationed in Ukraine, and Martian’s fight skills are eventually put to good use.David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Youthful high spirits become depressing under such circumstances.Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
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David not only excels musically on the trombone but also brings a collaborative and positive spirit that inspires the entire group.Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 22 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near spook
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spook. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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