eavesdrops (on)

Definition of eavesdrops (on)next
present tense third-person singular of eavesdrop (on)
as in listens 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 eavesdrops (on)
Verb
  • Often referred to as the state’s chief fiscal officer, the state comptroller pays the state’s bills, monitors fiscal compliance, records transactions and contracts and issues reports that guide the governor and legislature on budget decisions.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Cataloochee Ranch, along with its sister property The Swag, has recently been designated a DarkSky Approved Lodge by DarkSky International, a non-profit that monitors the quality of night skies.
    The Editors, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • When Claire and Frank retreat to Inverness on holiday following the end of WWII, Frank spies the spectre of a Highlander staring up into Claire's window that abruptly vanishes.
    Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Alma peers through a keyhole and spies her mother (Susanne Wuest) standing before a candlelit shrine to the family’s dead.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • About 15 minutes later, another 911 call comes in from a woman named Jane Kowalski, who sees Denise Lee slapping the back window of King's car and hears her screaming for help.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Not a passive one staring at a monitor in another state, but an active presence — someone who notices the unlocked window, who hears the footstep on the porch, who understands that an elder’s sudden confusion might signal a urinary tract infection.
    Neal K. Shah, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 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

“Eavesdrops (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdrops%20%28on%29. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.

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