eavesdrop (on)

verb

ˈēvz-ˌdräp How to pronounce eavesdrop (on) (audio)
Definition of eavesdrop (on)next
as in to listen in (on)
to listen to (another in private conversation) a nosy traveler who likes to eavesdrop on his fellow airline passengers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eavesdrop (on)
  1. monitor
  2. hear
  3. spy
  4. overhear
Verb
  • There are other existing and emerging satellite constellations capable of detecting and monitoring wildfires and wildfire smoke.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Voyagers have been skirting this dismal fate for years now, with NASA engineers carefully monitoring each spacecraft’s power supplies and plotting out when to turn off individual instruments to keep the missions going as long as possible.
    — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of monitor
Verb
  • At night, Ghaida hears Israeli drones overhead, despite the ceasefire.
    — Ava Bambuck, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Sarah Miller, a software engineer from the liberal stronghold of Madison, has heard all of the chatter about a civil war in the Democratic Party between progressives and moderates.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of hear
Verb
  • Just across the sea lie North Korea, China and Russia, which all have powerful spying capacities that Japan isn’t fully equipped to fend off.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Turkish, Asian and Chinese brands flooded in at first, spying a once-in-a-generation opportunity to hoover up prime real estate.
    — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of spy
Verb
  • But despite getting back together in season two, the finale ended on a cliffhanger of Alex overhearing Jackie confess her love to his brother Cole.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
  • How to start the conversation Don’t spring this conversation on someone over dinner—or anywhere other people might overhear.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of 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.

Browse Nearby Words

eat (up)
eavesdrop (on)
eavesdropped (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Eavesdrop (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdrop%20%28on%29. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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