spook

1 of 2

noun

ˈspük How to pronounce spook (audio)
Synonyms of spook
1
: ghost, specter
2
: an undercover agent : spy
spookish
ˈspü-kish How to pronounce spook (audio)
adjective

spook

2 of 2

verb

spooked; spooking; spooks

transitive verb

1
: haunt sense 1
2
: to make frightened or frantic : scare
especially : to startle into violent activity (such as stampeding)

intransitive verb

: to become spooked
cattle spooking at shadows

Synonyms of spook

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Noun

Verb

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Examples of spook in a Sentence

Noun Russia recalled its spooks after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Halloween is the night when spooks and goblins are said to roam abroad. Verb The noise spooked the cat. The little girl was spooked by scary masks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In general, most experts agree that for a foreign vote-changing scheme to work, spooks would have to get physical access to the casting and counting systems used in thousands of different locations scattered around the country. — Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026 Portofiro and the baroque universe surrounding it—communists on-world, techno-fascists offplanet, and all manner of augmentoids and spooks in the immaterial planes between—can make for a dizzying read. — Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Verb
Know More Saudi Arabia has been working on several measures in a bid to boost trading volumes on the stock exchange and reenergize new stock listings that had been faltering even before the Iran war spooked investors. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Industry insiders are worried that intensified scrutiny from state regulators — like those of California, who are leading the antitrust lawsuit over the Paramount-WBD deal — could spook other companies considering mergers or acquisitions. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spook

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Dutch; akin to Middle Low German spōk ghost

First Known Use

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spook was in 1801

Rhymes for spook

See All Rhymes for spook

Browse Nearby Words

spoofery
spook
spookery
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spook. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

spook

2 of 2 verb
: to make or become frightened : scare
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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