listen in (on)

Definition of listen in (on)next
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
  • Around that time, multiple officers fired stun guns — the electric shocks of which could be heard lasting about four or five seconds.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In hearing their stories, Knopf came to realize that none had ever really learned how to teach children to read.
    Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • There are other existing and emerging satellite constellations capable of detecting and monitoring wildfires and wildfire smoke.
    Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Voyagers have been skirting this dismal fate for years now, with NASA engineers carefully monitoring each spacecraft’s power supplies and plotting out when to turn off individual instruments to keep the missions going as long as possible.
    Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Chenal could stuff the run, spy the quarterback and rush the passer in key situations while also logging snaps in kick return, punt return, punt coverage and field-goal block.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Just across the sea lie North Korea, China and Russia, which all have powerful spying capacities that Japan isn’t fully equipped to fend off.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • But despite getting back together in season two, the finale ended on a cliffhanger of Alex overhearing Jackie confess her love to his brother Cole.
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
  • How to start the conversation Don’t spring this conversation on someone over dinner—or anywhere other people might overhear.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 5 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

“Listen in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listen%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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