Synonyms of espionage

espionage

noun

ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh 

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

• spying
• surveillance
• counterintelligence
• counterespionage
• reconnaissance
• intelligence
• wiretapping
• cloak-and-dagger
• tradecraft
• observation
• eavesdropping
• bugging
• lowdown
• goods
• dope

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of espionage

Google similarly detected recent attempts by actors linked to China, Russia, North Korea and Iran to use its Gemini AI model to carry out hacking, disinformation, espionage and criminal operations. — Stephen Collins, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

Kao is widely regarded within Indian intelligence circles as a formative figure in the country’s espionage apparatus, with successive R&AW chiefs having credited his strategic approach. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026

Lioness has always been a mess of contradictory political signifiers and anachronistic pop-cultural touchpoints, amounting to a 20th-century-style espionage adventure wrapped in 21st-century military-industrial dystopia. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2026

Five categories of spies are described, and espionage is treated as essential to providing rulers and commanders with the foreknowledge needed to make informed strategic decisions. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026