Thesaurus results for EAVESDROP (ON)

eavesdrop (on)

verb

ˈēvz-ˌdräp

Definition of eavesdrop (on)

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

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eavesdrop (on)

Verb

The department under President Biden monitored 64 jurisdictions in 24 states on Election Day in the last midterm year, 2022.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
For all its tests, the company builds realistic simulated environments, red teams these environments itself and with third parties to see whether they can be escaped, and monitors what agents do.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of monitor

Verb

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a case about the role race plays in middle school admissions, three years after a majority on the high court struck down affirmative action in college.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Trying to exonerate herself, Erin lays out this confusing defense about how her makeup guy heard about Sai’s divorce at a beauty event.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

The actress provided the voice of a technologically advanced, data-spying smart refrigerator.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Set the scene Eagle-eyed arrivals will first spy the new Six Senses across the improbably blue waters of northern Ibiza’s Cala Xarraca.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of spy

Verb

The pair gets into their first major relationship discussion when Sarah overhears John getting frustrated with a customer-service person from his electric company.

— Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
After weeks of overhearing the outbursts, O'Connor and his wife compiled their own top 10 list of Torn's most memorable lines.

— Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 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)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Eavesdrop (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdrop%20%28on%29. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of eavesdrop (on)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

emissary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes