spook
noun
had spooked
-
past perfectof spook.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.
A few months earlier, Anthropic had spooked companies and White House officials by showing that its Mythos AI could easily find new ways of hacking computers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas earlier told AFP that Ukraine's attacks had spooked the Kremlin.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
It was that investment, which was part of Amazon’s announced plans for $200 billion in capital expenditures — most of which is expected to focus on AI — that had spooked investors.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 17, 2026
The raids had spooked remaining employees — and many had stopped showing up to work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2025
Not surprisingly, the lightning had spooked everyone away from the park except us.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
