double agent
18
4.9
- noun
- /ˈdʌbəl ˈeɪdʒənt/
- They realized that she had been acting as a double agent, providing secrets to both the enemy and her own country.
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Watch on YouTubeAnd instead of going to, first of all, they had been well informed that by a double agent that the Russians were planning something.
- And instead of going to, first of all, they had been well informed that by a double agent that the Russians were planning something.
- This nameless double agent, undercover as a South Vietnamese Army captain, flees Saigon and resettles in Southern California.
- You know, if you're a double agent spy or something, I mean that that's one thing.
- The drunk, nasty smelling double agent Brilliant.
- We had to be sure that those Japanese ain't fucking double agents.
Examples
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Helen, there's a double agent in my outfit.
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All through the fighting in Crete, he was a double agent.
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I just thought you were a double agent.
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Are you a double agent?
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Always under suspicion of being a double agent.
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I think we have a double agent in our midst.
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So you're a double agent, are you?
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I suppose it's quite easy, perhaps even tempting, for a double agent to play both sides.
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You're the best double agent we've ever had.
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But the reality was another: Roque was a double agent working for the Cuban government.
Blog text (22)
Synonyms
82
8.2
A person who secretly works inside an organization to pass information to an enemy
18
8.1
A person who helps an enemy that occupies their country during a war
13
8.2
A person who leaves their group to join the opposite side
2
6.8
A person who pretends to be loyal but betrays someone
1
9.9
A person who secretly helps an enemy inside their country
1
8.5
A person who pretends to be a friend but secretly works against others
How Hidden
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'double' (twofold) modifies 'agent' (a person acting on behalf of others), so a 'double agent' is readily understood as an agent serving two sides or pretending to work for one while actually working for another. This adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words would normally infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Double agent paints a clear picture: an agent living a double life, acting like they belong to one side while secretly helping another. That's why it means 'a spy who works for two sides'.