spy
noun
a person employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence about another, usually hostile, country, especially with reference to military or naval affairs.
had spied
-
past perfectof spy.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Years after the original police investigation into Mr Lawrence’s death, it emerged that undercover police officers had spied on campaigners supporting the Lawrence family in their fight for justice.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2024
She headed out the door toward the kitchen, where she had spied some potential voters for the upcoming election.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2023
What he had spied looked to me like nothing more than just another of many twigs, jutting from a branch at a slight angle.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 11, 2022
While working as a U.S. intelligence analyst, Montes had spied for Cuba for 17 years.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 11, 2021
It was clear to us now that someone had spied on us during our school trip.
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
