spy
Third Person
spies
Present Participle
spying
Past Tense
spied
Past Participle
spied
1
to secretly observe someone
transitive
- During the Cold War, intelligence agencies would spy on rival nations to gather classified information.
- Private investigators may be hired to spy on individuals for legal or investigative purposes.
- Companies may use surveillance cameras to spy on employees for security reasons.
- The detective discreetly spied on the suspect to gather evidence for the case.
- The journalist was accused of spying on the politician to uncover a potential scandal.
2
to see or glimpse something briefly or from a distance
transitive
- She spied a bird perched on the windowsill while she was working.
- I spied him across the room and waved to get his attention.
- He spied a hidden message written on the back of the envelope.
- As they walked through the market, she spied a rare book in one of the stalls.
- From the top of the hill, they spied the distant lights of the city below.
3
to secretly gather information about enemies, competitors, or others
- During the Cold War, many people were recruited to spy for their countries.
- The government suspected that several employees were secretly spying for foreign intelligence agencies.
- The diplomat was accused of spying for a foreign power.
- The agent was sent to spy on the enemy camp to gather strategic information.