counterspy

noun

Definition of counterspynext
as in sleeper

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of counterspy Shadow Alliance Former National Security Agency counterspy John Schindler wrote on his Top Secret Umbra blog in January 2024 that Epstein appeared to have been part of a shadowy Israeli influence operation characterized as MEGA. — Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025 During the Spanish Civil War, an agent on a mission to purchase coal meets with murder and counterspies. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2019 Then there is the veteran Israeli espionage journalist Ronen Bergman, who has taken a slightly different angle into the shadow world of spies, counterspies and assassinations. — Jeff Stein, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2018 Spies fall in love with counterspies, Israelis with Palestinians, Prisoner Z with his guard. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterspy
  1. sleeper
  2. double agent
  3. spy
  4. informer
  5. courier
Noun
  • As the ref checked on Owens, Zayn went for the Helluva Kick, but Gunther intercepted and locked in a sleeper, which was interrupted by a Coup de Grace by Gunther.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Sleep is variable by nature, and even healthy sleepers have off nights.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of sleeper
Noun
  • The cast includes Nicolas Cage as Dusko Popov, a real-life double agent who is said to have inspired Ian Fleming’s James Bond character, as well as Matthew Goode, Ben Kingsley, Ron Perlman and Michael Sheen.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 July 2026
  • Garner played double agent Sydney Bristow in Alias from 2001 to 2006.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of double agent
Noun
  • During the first season of the Paramount+ spy thriller, the 34-year-old actress’ character, Cruz Manuelos, was mostly undercover.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Here’s a fish-out-of-water rom-com wedged into, um, a spy thriller about aliens in New Mexico.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of spy
Noun
  • One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.
    — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
  • And so every regime invests in having student informers.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of informer
Noun
  • In 2018, a young man named Hu Anyan found work in Beijing as a courier, after stints as a convenience-store clerk, a bicycle salesman, and a security guard.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Culture travels further than any courier shipping Solar Buddies worldwide.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of courier

Browse Nearby Words

counterspies
counterspy
counterstep
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Cite this Entry

“Counterspy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterspy. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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