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
Synonyms
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
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 14 July 2024
Read on for what the cosmos have in store for your zodiac sign this Halloween amid Scorpio season, according to PEOPLE's resident astrologer Kyle Thomas
Comments
There's a spook in the stars!
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024
But, this time, something spooked him—a distant rooster crowing.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spook 
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
But Fly Me to the Moon barely develops its lead characters, played by Johansson and Channing Tatum, so what chance does Harrelson have in playing anything more than a one-dimensional spook?
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 14 July 2024
Read on for what the cosmos have in store for your zodiac sign this Halloween amid Scorpio season, according to PEOPLE's resident astrologer Kyle Thomas
Comments
There's a spook in the stars!
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
The idea is that the scent will get the buck to stop for a moment, but not get spooked.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024
But, this time, something spooked him—a distant rooster crowing.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spook
Dictionary Entries Near spook
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spook. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spook
1 of 2 nounspook
2 of 2 verb
: to make or become frightened : scare
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share