spy on

Idioms  

1. Secretly or furtively observe someone or something, as in The children loved spying on the grownups, or The company sent him to spy on the competitor's sales force. [Early 1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spy on

The FSB's Centre 16 has previously been accused by Western intelligence agencies of using malware for decades to try to gain access to spy on countries around the globe.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

He instead pointed to Wired reporting about New York Knicks owner Jim Dolan allegedly using cameras and security at the arena to spy on his critics.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

In 2015 the German newspaper Kicker reported that Cologne - where Eckert was working as a youth coach - had sent an analyst to spy on Hamburg during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

The island’s internal espionage and counterintelligence apparatus includes some 100,000 officials and informants who spy on the population and monitor every street, workplace and university, García said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

The Reverend forbade us to observe any ritual over which he was not asked to preside, but twice, at night, I slipped out to spy on the funerals.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• stalk