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Synonyms

counterspy

American  
[koun-ter-spahy] / ˈkaʊn tərˌspaɪ /

noun

plural

counterspies

  1. a spy active in counterespionage.

counterspy British  
/ ˈkaʊntəˌspaɪ /

noun

  1. a spy working against or investigating enemy espionage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of counterspy

First recorded in 1935–40; counter- + spy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Postal service and couriers and internet service providers must assist counterspy probes, the law says.

From Washington Times • Jul. 5, 2023

“Local G.I. acts as counterspy at a POW camp,” he said.

From Washington Times • Mar. 20, 2017

It might have been something he led certain acolytes to believe after Philby’s defection, to maintain his reputation as all-knowing counterspy.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2013

We’re still haunted by the legacy of these spectral figures, their legacy of doubling and doubt—and, yes, the shadowy counterspy linked to both.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2013

To add insult to injury, she then turned out to be better at counterspy operations than the FBI was.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.