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
The crowd attending Thursday's council meeting was so large, some had to sit in the lobby to listen in.
—
Todd Feurer, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Teachers, students and parents at Heritage Elementary can listen in on the discussions by scanning a QR code to the podcast that’s displayed on posters throughout the school.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Word has it that as the team was passing through border security--on the way back to Iran--each woman was taken aside to speak to Australian officials and interpreters without minders listening in.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
On a much brighter note, attendees at Miles Davis’ electrifying 1985 debut gig at Humphreys, which took place during a driving rainstorm, listened in rapt attention throughout.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
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.
Todd Feurer, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Teachers, students and parents at Heritage Elementary can listen in on the discussions by scanning a QR code to the podcast that’s displayed on posters throughout the school.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Word has it that as the team was passing through border security--on the way back to Iran--each woman was taken aside to speak to Australian officials and interpreters without minders listening in.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
On a much brighter note, attendees at Miles Davis’ electrifying 1985 debut gig at Humphreys, which took place during a driving rainstorm, listened in rapt attention throughout.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
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 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
