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

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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

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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
The market got a spook earlier this year because private credit funds have lent heavily to the software industry — under threat from AI — and many investors sought to cash out funds. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 15 Apr. 2026 Remember that movement spooks turkeys more than anything else. — Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
Tail Town abides by that policy and aims to educate people about uncontrollable factors that could spook a cat outdoors like cars, dogs and wildlife. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 In that section, gruesome murders have spooked what few locals there are, and the boy, Caleb (Atticus Affleck), has a shifty, older-than-his years air about him that makes farmer Emmett (Scoot McNairy) quite unsettled. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 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
  • In 2010, 11 deep-cover Russian spies were arrested across the United States, sending shockwaves around the globe.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • He was spirited out of Kyiv with maneuvers right out of a spy novel.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of spy
Noun
  • As life moves on, ghosts remain The suit against Fox filed by Zakrzewski's widow, Michelle Ross-Stanton, is still winding its way through the British legal system.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Swift appears as the ghost of Farrell’s former wife, warning Johnson about her husband and revealing the dark truth behind his past.
    — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of ghost
Verb
  • Families confronting a devastating diagnosis may already be frightened, grieving and overwhelmed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But Cardinale acknowledged layoffs would be part of the cost-cuts, a prospect that frightened many in Hollywood after endless waves of job cuts at the two companies.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of frighten
Noun
  • While reading Elliott Baker’s 1971 book, Pocock and Pitt, Golod became intrigued by a secondary character named Adderly, an intelligence operative whose injured hand had altered the course of his career.
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Sandinista operatives are suspected in a series of shootings, abductions and killings of Nicaraguan exiles in Costa Rica in recent years.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of operative
Noun
  • For evening observers, this apparition has been more frustrating than triumphant, with Venus lingering low in the glow of twilight instead of climbing into a commanding position.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • One minute, the stubble field in front of his stand had been empty, and then suddenly, like an apparition, a whitetail buck had appeared.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of apparition
Verb
  • There are a few other helpful features, such as two-way talk to speak with visitors on the other side of your door, as well as a siren that can scare away any unwanted parties.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
  • More than anything, this adaptation feels scared of being too unlikable or scaring anyone too much.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of scare
Noun
  • My interview with Altman had been arranged weeks earlier, just as the first revelations emerged about swarms of rogue AI agents conspiring to hack websites.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Until today, human scientists have been the agents responsible for discovering cancer cures, and for doing so they (and key associates) have been showered with academic credit and awards, perhaps even a Nobel Prize.
    — Jeffrey S. Flier, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of agent
Noun
  • Riffing on the spirit of COMO Shambhala, yoga and wellbeing is a huge focus here; an open-air pavilion hosts different sessions and therapies.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The family described the teen as a fearless, curious and deeply imaginative young man with an ambitious spirit who inspired those around him.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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