public eye vs spotlight

public eye and spotlight both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
public eye	Yes	No	No	No
spotlight	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, public eye and spotlight are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of public eye include glare, limelight.

public eye (noun)	spotlight (noun)
a focus of public attention	a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer
	a focus of public attention

public eye (verb)	spotlight (verb)
	illuminate with a spotlight, as in the theater
	move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent