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
  • Each summer, Iceland’s road authorities monitor conditions before declaring the F-roads open.
    David Nikel, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Owen — who has monitored the species in the Arctic wild — said monitoring Kalluk at the zoo also helped with better understanding polar bears’ body weight and fat stores, and therefore conservation efforts to protect them.
    Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But hearing about what her family lived through during the Second World War and the Cultural Revolution for the first time was transformative—Chinese history struck her as the stuff of epic storytelling.
    Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
  • When employees see their feedback is heard and reflected in decisions, trust grows—and so does participation.
    Aaron Edgell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Within minutes my father spied Ernie Banks signing autographs at the wall.
    Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
  • The abrupt rise in deportations and claims of Afghans spying attracted international condemnation.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Jacob called his father prior to his death, and the worried dad overheard Donald shouting vile insults at his son, said prosecutors.
    Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2025
  • He can often be overheard talking about pitch selection, sequences and other details with his fellow pitchers.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
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

Cite this Entry

“Eavesdrop (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdrop%20%28on%29. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!