eavesdropped (on)

past tense of eavesdrop (on)
as in listened 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 eavesdropped (on)
Verb
  • The cause of the spill is under investigation, and downstream water quality is being monitored.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The restaurant said employees who worked that day were vaccinated against the disease and being monitored.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Smoke rose over the site after the blast, which witnesses and residents said was heard far away, followed by gunfire.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • International travelers, for the most part, have likely never heard its name.
    Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Police said the school went into lockdown after officers saw students running down hallways and received reports that someone overheard a comment about a gun.
    Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The actors speak quietly, as if fearful of being overheard, whether or not there is anyone around to hear, and often regard one another with pained or stunned expressions.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The tourists, having sent home seven players and their coaching staff mid-series, made four changes but really only spied solace in the performance of Razaullah Khan, one of three debutants.
    Paul Newman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • To the north of the fire, between a forest and a small dirt road, Olstead spied a green field—the jump spot.
    M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Eavesdropped (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdropped%20%28on%29. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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