spooked; spooking; spooks
1
2
: to make frightened or frantic : scare
especially
: to startle into violent activity (such as stampeding)
: to become spooked
cattle spooking at shadows
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
Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
Kc Baker, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
That bodes well for spending, but the layoffs of federal workers could spook consumers to cut back.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
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Noun
Cambridge math dons, government spooks, think-tankers, Iraqi archeologists: Of course they’re all caught up in a plot to save or destroy the world.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
While her son was atop the horse, a woman was captured on video running up behind the horse and pulling its tail, spooking the animal and causing the boy to be thrown off, according to KTVU and Fox 26 News.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
That bodes well for spending, but the layoffs of federal workers could spook consumers to cut back.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spook
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spook. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spook
1 of 2 nounspook
2 of 2 verb
: to make or become frightened : scare
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