read lips

idiom

: to understand what people are saying by watching the movement of their lips
deaf people who know how to read lips
I couldn't hear him, but I read his lips.

Examples of read lips in a Sentence

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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.
On our balcony, in chestnut branches, my father is teaching me how to read lips. Ilya Kaminsky august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025 The Diary Room was extra tricky because unlike with his interactions with the other contestants, Matt could not simply read lips since producers are heard but not seen. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2023 The couple speaks mostly via text, as Sheila is still learning ASL — and David can’t read lips or speak. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 2 June 2023 One of the worst offenders in recent memory: the second floor of Petite Cerise, where my party read lips through an 85-decibel dinner — the equivalent of eating to the accompaniment of a garbage disposal. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 17 May 2023 See All Example Sentences for read lips

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“Read lips.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/read%20lips. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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