listen for

idiom

: to pay attention to sounds in order to hear (something expected)

We listened for (the sound of) his footsteps.

We saw lightning and listened for the thunder.

Examples of listen for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Watch their interactions, listen for moments of friction and take note of emotional reactions. —Kunal Abichandani, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

Whereas other toddlers might listen for a spell and then peel away to do something more interesting, like chase a passing dog or stare at an iPad, Julian could focus for an hour straight, totally mesmerized. —Ashlea Halpern, AFAR Media, 30 Apr. 2025

Cataloochee Valley, in the southeastern corner of the park, typically has the largest concentration of the animals, and the big meadow off Cove Creek Road is a good spot to watch and listen for the calls. —Graham Averill, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2025

Monitor the sky for threatening signs and listen for the sound of thunder. —Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for listen for

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore