overhear
verb
over·hear
ˌō-vər-ˈhir 
overheard
ˌō-vər-ˈhərd
; overhearing
ˌō-vər-ˈhir-iŋ
; overhearing
ˌō-vər-ˈhir-iŋ
: to hear without the speaker's knowledge or intention
overheard their conversation
: to overhear something
went someplace where she couldn't overhear
Examples of overhear in a Sentence
She overheard what her boss said to his secretary.
I overheard a rumor about you.
They were overheard discussing the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
Karen Powers overheard the adjuster accusing her husband and brother of having failed to perform work with the money that State Farm had issued on the earlier claim.
—
J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 10 Feb. 2026
Although Silvia and Guojun didn’t discuss their private lives, their employees could easily overhear them fight.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
According to Salazar, the plot was discovered when a detention deputy with the Bexar County Jail intelligence group overheard coded language during monitored inmate phone calls, which investigators believe referenced a plan to harm a witness outside the jail.
—Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Feb. 2026
The delay has lasted for more than 20 minutes now and a live video feed of the event overheard the waiting athletes discussing the merits of zucchini bread, among other things.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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.
J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 10 Feb. 2026
Although Silvia and Guojun didn’t discuss their private lives, their employees could easily overhear them fight.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
According to Salazar, the plot was discovered when a detention deputy with the Bexar County Jail intelligence group overheard coded language during monitored inmate phone calls, which investigators believe referenced a plan to harm a witness outside the jail.
—Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Feb. 2026
The delay has lasted for more than 20 minutes now and a live video feed of the event overheard the waiting athletes discussing the merits of zucchini bread, among other things.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overhear
Cite this Entry
“Overhear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overhear. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overhear
verb
over·hear
ˌō-vər-ˈhi(ə)r
overheard
-ˈhərd
; overhearing
-ˈhi(ə)r-iŋ
; overhearing
-ˈhi(ə)r-iŋ
: to hear without the speaker's knowledge or intention
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
