Thesaurus results for LISTEN IN (ON)

listen in (on)

verb

Definition of listen in (on)

as in to eavesdrop (on)

to listen to (another in private conversation) it's not polite to listen in on other people's private conversations

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for listen in (on)

Verb

From the moment Errol Holden’s raps entered the public sphere in the early 2020s, listening to them has felt like hearing a stranger on the street earnestly tell you how the city has changed.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
The ban remains in force, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear a further appeal early next month.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

Invariably, the goal of this kind of espionage is to help key sectors in the spying country rapidly replicate or surpass American advances.

— DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
At a press conference yesterday NASA presented its preliminary findings, which touch on everything from the moon’s surprisingly colorful craters to a series of curious flashes that the astronauts spied in lunar shadows.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of spy

Verb

Rosa is kind and helpful, but Kaylee worries about disappointing Fraser, who overhears her ask for Rosa’s help.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
With the festival’s first weekend coinciding with the Brazilian presidential elections, almost every conversation overheard at RioMarket during the event’s early days was intertwined with politics.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 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

listening (to)

listen in (on)

listens

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“Listen in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listen%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of listen in (on)

verb

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