snoop

Plural: snoops

Noun

a spy who makes uninvited inquiries into the private affairs of others
The act of snooping.
One who snoops.
A private detective.

Verb

Verb Forms: snooped, snooping, snoops

To investigate or pry secretly, especially into private affairs.
watch, observe, or inquire secretly
To be devious and cunning so as not to be seen.
To secretly spy on or investigate, especially into the private personal life of others.
To steal.

Examples

Be careful what you say around Gene because he's the bosses' snoop.
If I had not snooped on her, I wouldn't have found out that she lied about her degree.
My opponent tried to SNOOP at my tile rack, but I kept it well hidden.
She hired a snoop to find out if her husband was having an affair.

Origin / Etymology

From Dutch snoepen (“to pry, eat in secret, sneak”). Related to Dutch and Low German snappen (“to bite, seize”), Dutch snavel (“beak, bill, pecker, neb”), German Schnabel (“beak, bill, mouth”). More at snap.

Synonyms

sleuth, snooper, spy, stag

Scrabble Score: 7

snoop: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
snoop: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
snoop: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

snoop: valid Words With Friends Word