listen in
verb
listened in; listening in; listens in
1
: to tune in to or monitor a broadcast
2
: to listen to a conversation without participating in it
especially
: eavesdrop
Examples of listen in in a Sentence
it's not polite to listen in on other people's private conversations
Recent Examples on the Web
Priya could anchor her listening in accountability moments, pairing care with direction.
—
Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
No longer will anyone outside law enforcement be able to listen in to emergencies, from a major earthquake to calls about routine traffic stops, robberies, burglaries, shootings and other crimes.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
There are also cables zigzagging along the ocean floor and sensors that can listen in to what passes close by.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
In the 1990s, our armed forces helped Colombia and Peru through sharing information about civilian aircraft that were suspected of shipping drugs with radar data and listening in to their radio communications.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for listen in
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.
Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
No longer will anyone outside law enforcement be able to listen in to emergencies, from a major earthquake to calls about routine traffic stops, robberies, burglaries, shootings and other crimes.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
There are also cables zigzagging along the ocean floor and sensors that can listen in to what passes close by.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
In the 1990s, our armed forces helped Colombia and Peru through sharing information about civilian aircraft that were suspected of shipping drugs with radar data and listening in to their radio communications.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for listen in
Cite this Entry
“Listen in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listen%20in. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share