espionage network
1
6.4
- noun
- /ˈɛspiəˌnɑːʒ ˈnɛtˌwɜrk/
- Specialized
:
red de espionaje
- The government discovered an espionage network operating within its military ranks.
Examples
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He was accused of being part of an international espionage network.
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Once uncovered, the espionage network was dismantled, revealing a web of spies working across multiple nations.
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During the Cold War, many espionage networks were uncovered by counterintelligence agencies.
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The CIA has an espionage network in place.
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Did the authorities uncover an espionage network in the city?
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The government is investigating a suspected espionage network that is allegedly stealing trade secrets.
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During the Cold War, many countries operated their own espionage networks to gather intelligence on each other's military capabilities.
Synonyms
64
2.8
A group that collects and studies secret information about other countries and threats
33
3.0
A group that gathers and studies secret information for a government
A small secret group that watches places or people to gather information
How Large
- Specialized
64
2.8
- Specialized
1
6.4
- Literature
263
7.2
- Literature
123
7.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'espionage' (spying) and 'network' (an interconnected system), so its meaning — a network used for spying or covert intelligence collection — is directly compositional and predictable from the constituents. Even when applied to cyber infrastructure (compromised devices, servers, accounts), the sense is a literal extension of those words and would be understandable to a learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Espionage network gives the image of spies linked like a net, each person passing secret information along hidden lines, so it means 'a secret organization that collects information for a government'.