Synonyms and antonyms of Spies and spying in American Thesaurus

agent (noun)

someone who works for a country’s intelligence agency and collects secret information about foreign governments

breach of security ()

a situation in which someone gets into a place that is usually guarded, or discovers information that should be kept secret

bug (noun)

a small piece of electronic equipment used for secretly listening to what people are saying

bug (verb)

to hide a small piece of electronic equipment somewhere so that you can secretly listen to what people are saying

collaborate (verb)

to work secretly to help an enemy or opponent

collaboration (noun)

help that someone secretly gives to an enemy or opponent

collaborator (noun)

showing disapproval someone who secretly helps an enemy or opponent, for example by giving them information

counterintelligence (noun)

the activities and methods used by a country to prevent other countries from discovering its secrets

double agent (noun)

someone who finds out secret information for a government but also for that government’s enemy

espionage (noun)

attempts to discover your enemy’s political, military, or industrial secrets using secret methods. Someone who does this is a spy.

industrial espionage (noun)

the act of stealing secret information from a company in order to help another company

infiltrate (verb)

to secretly join an organization or go into a place in order to find out information about it or damage it

intelligence (noun)

information collected about the secret plans and activities of a foreign government, enemy, etc.

intelligence (noun)

a government organization that collects information about the secret plans and activities of a foreign government, enemy, etc.

listening device (noun)

a piece of electrical equipment that allows someone to listen secretly to people’s conversations

listening post (noun)

a place for secretly listening to electronic communications made by other people, especially a country’s enemies

military intelligence (noun)

information that one country obtains about another country’s military equipment and its ability to fight a war, for example by secretly watching it or trading information

mole (noun)

informal someone who joins or works for an organization in order to give secret information about it to other people, especially to its enemies

national security (noun)

the protection or the safety of a country’s secrets and its citizens

operative (noun)

someone whose job is to do secret work, especially for a government organization

penetrate (verb)

to become a member of a group in order to find out secret information about them

phone-tapping (noun)

the use of special equipment to listen to and record someone’s telephone conversations

plant (noun)

a person who is put into a group or organization to find out information secretly

plant (verb)

to put someone in a group or organization so that they can find out information secretly

quisling (noun)

mainly Britishold-fashionedshowing disapproval someone who secretly helps an enemy or opponent

secret agent (noun)

someone whose job involves working for a government and finding out the secrets of other governments

secret service (noun)

a government department that secret agents work for

snoop (verb)

to secretly try to get information that someone would not want you to have

snoop (verb)

to watch someone secretly in order to learn about their personal life or business

snoop (noun)

someone who tries to get secret information about someone

spook (noun)

informal a spy

spy (verb)

to work as a spy

spy (noun)

someone whose job is to find out secret information about a country or an organization

spy (noun)

involving spies or their activities

spy on ()

to watch someone secretly so that you know everything that they do

spy on ()

to find out secret information about what a country or an organization is doing

tap (verb)

to use electronic equipment to secretly listen to what someone says on the telephone

tap (noun)

electronic equipment used for listening secretly to someone’s telephone conversations

traitor (noun)

someone who tells secrets about their own country to a country that is its enemy

wire (noun)

informal a piece of electronic equipment that someone wears under their clothes to allow other people to hear their conversations secretly

wire (verb)

to hide a piece of equipment somewhere that allows conversations to be heard secretly

wired (adjective)

wearing or containing equipment that secretly lets conversations be heard or recorded

wiretap (noun)

a piece of equipment that secretly lets telephone conversations be heard or recorded

wiretap (noun)

an occasion when a wiretap is used

wiretap (verb)

to connect a special piece of equipment to a telephone wire that lets you listen to conversations secretly. The usual British word is tap.