Thesaurus results for LISTEN IN

listen in (on)

verb

Definition of listen in (on)

as in to eavesdrop (on)

to listen to (another in private conversation) it's not polite to listen in on other people's private conversations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for listen in (on)

Verb

Around that time, multiple officers fired stun guns — the electric shocks of which could be heard lasting about four or five seconds.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
In hearing their stories, Knopf came to realize that none had ever really learned how to teach children to read.

— Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

Between 60% and 70% of new Ebola cases are being detected among people who were not already being monitored as contacts, meaning health workers may only discover infections after patients become sick and have had opportunities to expose others.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Cardiff had their problems under Malaysian businessman Tan but not nearly as many as Wednesday, whom Storch had been advised to monitor 12 months before his eventual takeover.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of monitor

Verb

Chenal could stuff the run, spy the quarterback and rush the passer in key situations while also logging snaps in kick return, punt return, punt coverage and field-goal block.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
Just across the sea lie North Korea, China and Russia, which all have powerful spying capacities that Japan isn’t fully equipped to fend off.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

Definition of spy

Verb

But despite getting back together in season two, the finale ended on a cliffhanger of Alex overhearing Jackie confess her love to his brother Cole.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
How to start the conversation Don’t spring this conversation on someone over dinner—or anywhere other people might overhear.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of overhear

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

listening (to)

listen in (on)

listens

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Listen in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listen%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of listen in (on)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

zeugma

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes