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spies - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | spy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person who secretly finds out about another's business |
| Synonyms: | agent, detective, double agent, emissary, informer, investigator, lookout, mole*, observer, operative, patrol, picket, plant*, scout, secret agent, secret service, sleuth, snoop, spook, watcher, espionage agent, foreign agent, inside agent, intelligencer, sleeper, spotter, undercover agent |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | spy |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | secretly follow, watch another's actions |
| Synonyms: | case, discover, examine, glimpse, meddle, notice, observe, peep, pry, reconnoiter, scout, scrutinize, search, shadow, sleuth, snoop, spot, tail, take in, trail, view, watch, catch sight of, eyeball, fish out, get a load of, keep under surveillance, look for, recon, set eyes on, stag, stake out, take note |
| Main Entry: | agent provocateur |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | secret agent |
| Synonyms: | agitator, firebrand, goad, incendiary, instigator, operative, rabble-rouser, radical, ringleader, spark, spy, troublemaker, intelligence agent, noncooperator, provocateur, provocative agent, provoker |
| Main Entry: | behold |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | regard; look at |
| Synonyms: | catch, consider, contemplate, descry, discern, distinguish, earmark, eye, eyeball, feast one's eyes, flash*, lay eyes on, note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, scan, see, spot, spy, survey, view, watch, witness |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | bug |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | listen to without permission |
| Synonyms: | eavesdrop, spy, tap, listen in, overhear, wiretap |
| Notes: | a bug is a particular kind of insect, specifically belonging to the order Hemiptera (tough leathery forewings attached to the body - like ladybugs, beetles) while insects generally belong to the class Insecta, which have bodies in three segments, usually two pairs or wings and three pairs of legs (like bees, mosquitoes); spiders are not technically insects because they have four pairs of legs insect (from Latin animal insectum) literally meant 'divided animal' or 'cut up or into' from the segments of its body (head, thorax, abdomen) - the common word being 'bug'; insect is any of an extremely large group of small invertebrate animals - and most undergo metamorphosis while bug denotes a special group of insects with beaklike sucking mouth parts and partly membranous forewings |
| Main Entry: | detective |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | investigator of crime |
| Synonyms: | agent, analyst, bull*, cop, eavesdropper, eye*, fink*, gumshoe*, informer, police officer, private eye, reporter, scout, shadow*, sleuth, snoop*, spy, tail*, P. I., Sherlock Holmes, bird dog, bloodhound, constable, dick, fed, flatfoot, nark, peeper, plainclothes officer, private investigator, prosecutor, roper, sergeant, shamus, shoofly, slewfoot |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | distinguish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | discern, identify |
| Synonyms: | beam*, catch, descry, detect, dig, discover, discriminate, eye, flash*, focus, know, make out, mark, note, notice, observe, perceive, read, recognize, remark, see, spot, spy, take in, tell, view, eyeball, get a load of, get an eyeful, pick out, pick up on |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | eavesdrop |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | listen without permission |
| Synonyms: | bug, monitor, pry, snoop, spy, tap, wire, be all ears, bend an ear, ears into, listen in, overhear, tune in on, wiretap |
| Antonyms: | ignore |
| Main Entry: | emissary |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | deputy |
| Synonyms: | agent, ambassador, bearer, carrier, consul, courier, delegate, envoy, front, go-between, herald, hired gun*, intermediary, legate, messenger, representative, scout, spy, internuncio, rep |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | enemy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | someone hated or competed against |
| Synonyms: | adversary, agent, antagonist, assailant, assassin, attacker, bandit, betrayer, competitor, criminal, detractor, fifth column, foe, guerrilla, informer, invader, murderer, opponent, opposition, rebel, revolutionary, rival, spy, terrorist, traitor, villain, archenemy, asperser, backbiter, bad person, calumniator, contender, defamer, defiler, disputant, emulator, falsifier, inquisitor, other side, prosecutor, saboteur, seditionist, slanderer, traducer, vilifier |
| Antonyms: | aide, ally, assistant, confidante, friend, helper |
| Main Entry: | glimpse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | look briefly |
| Synonyms: | check out, descry, espy, eye, flash, peek, sight, spot, spy, take in*, view, catch sight of, get a load of, get an eyeful, take a gander |
| Antonyms: | stare |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | investigate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | check into thoroughly |
| Synonyms: | bug, case*, check out, consider, delve, dig, examine, explore, frisk, go into, inquire, inspect, interrogate, look into, poke, probe, prospect, pry, question, read, reconnoiter, research, review, run down, scout, scrutinize, search, sift, spy, study, tap, be all ears, check over, check up, eyeball, feel out, give the once over, inquisite, listen in, look over, look-see, make inquiry, muckrake, nose around, put to the test, stake out, wiretap |
| Antonyms: | ignore |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | investigator |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person who checks thoroughly |
| Synonyms: | agent, analyst, attorney, auditor, detective, examiner, gumshoe*, hound*, inspector, police, private detective, private eye, researcher, reviewer, sleuth, spy, Sherlock Holmes, inquirer, plainclothes officer, prosecutor, snooper, tester, undercover cop |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | look |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | examine visually |
| Synonyms: | admire, attend, behold, beware, consider, contemplate, eye, feast one's eyes, flash, focus, gape, gawk, gaze, get a load of, glance, glower, goggle, heed, inspect, mark, mind, note, notice, observe, ogle, peep, peer, pore over, read, regard, rubberneck*, scan, scout, scrutinize, see, spot, spy, stare, study, survey, take a gander, take in the sights, tend, view, watch |
| Antonyms: | disregard, ignore, miss, overlook |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | look out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be wary |
| Synonyms: | beware, check out, listen, mind, notice, peg*, scope, spot, spy, be alert, be careful, be on guard, have a care, heads up, hearken, keep an eye out, keep tabs, pay attention, pick up on, shotgun, size up, watch out |
| Antonyms: | disregard, ignore, neglect |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | observe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | see, notice |
| Synonyms: | beam, behold, catch, contemplate, detect, dig, discern, discover, distinguish, eagle-eye, espy, examine, eyeball, flash*, get a load of, get an eyeful of, inspect, keep one's eye on, lamp*, look at, make out*, mark, mind, monitor, note, pay attention to, perceive, pick up on, read, recognize, regard, scrutinize, spot, spy, study, survey, take in*, view, watch, witness |
| Antonyms: | ignore, miss, overlook |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | patrol |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | guarding; guard |
| Synonyms: | garrison, lookout, protection, sentinel, spy, vigilance, watch, watching, convoying, defending, escorting, patroler, policing, protecting, rounds, safeguarding, scouting, watchperson |
| Main Entry: | peek/peep |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | sneak a look |
| Synonyms: | blink, glance, glimpse, look, peer, snatch, snoop, spy, squint, stare, have a gander, take a look |
| Main Entry: | peer |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | scan, scrutinize |
| Synonyms: | bore, eagle eye*, eye*, focus, gape, gawk, gaze, glare, gloat, inspect, look, peep, pin*, pry, rubberneck*, snoop, spy, squint, stare, eyeball, get a load of, glim |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | perceive |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | notice, see |
| Synonyms: | apprehend, behold, descry, discern, discover, distinguish, divine, espy, feel, grasp, identify, look, make out, mark, mind, note, observe, realize, recognize, regard, remark, seize, sense, spot, spy, take, apperceive, be aware of |
| Antonyms: | miss, neglect, overlook |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
