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
  • Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it.
    Caren Bohan, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
  • This week, the Supreme Court hears arguments on whether the Republican president has overstepped federal law with many of his tariffs.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Then there's carefully monitoring multiple loads to make sure every item is washed and dried at the correct temperature.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Controls, for example, need to be continuously monitored so that audit readiness becomes more a state of being, and not a last minute sprint.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In 2024, 64 people in Taiwan were prosecuted for spying for China—more than the previous two years combined—with principal targets being current or former military personnel.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
  • And when Clara spies her classmate Miller Adams (Mason Thames) along the roadside, and decides to give him a ride, the film introduces a next-generation complication-that-isn’t-really-one.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The inspiration came when Morrison overheard a store employee explaining the importance of wide toe boxes and flexible soles in early childhood footwear.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Deputies and K-9s searched the area, collected evidence and interviewed nearby residents and employees at businesses who may have witnessed or overheard the attack.
    Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 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.

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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 5 Nov. 2025.

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