eavesdropping
noun
eaves·drop·ping
ˈēvz-ˌdrä-piŋ 
: the act of secretly listening to something private
Highly sophisticated means of electronic eavesdropping were developed and put into use, largely uncontrolled by the law.—
Wayne R. LaFave & Jerold H. Israel
Wayne R. LaFave & Jerold H. IsraelFor a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.—Rick Riordan
Rick RiordanExamples of eavesdropping in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The agreement comes after intense scrutiny over China’s intelligence operations in Cuba, after earlier reports in 2023 that Beijing and Havana might have inked a deal to build a new eavesdropping site.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Colleagues would talk for hours with the powerful and the secretive; a conversation with Julian Assange required technological methods that we were not permitted to discuss, to discourage eavesdropping.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Laser links enable faster transmission of data, while offering more security against eavesdropping or intercepts.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
After Durkin challenged the government’s eavesdropping methods in the case, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago in 2013 held a highly unusual closed-door session with government officials over whether Durkin should be allowed to view confidential surveillance documents.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
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Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Colleagues would talk for hours with the powerful and the secretive; a conversation with Julian Assange required technological methods that we were not permitted to discuss, to discourage eavesdropping.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Laser links enable faster transmission of data, while offering more security against eavesdropping or intercepts.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
After Durkin challenged the government’s eavesdropping methods in the case, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago in 2013 held a highly unusual closed-door session with government officials over whether Durkin should be allowed to view confidential surveillance documents.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for eavesdropping
Cite this Entry
“Eavesdropping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eavesdropping. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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