as in eavesdropped (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 listened in (on)
Verb
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The deep booms, which on clear nights can be heard across the forest, attract female kakapo to the bowls.—
Charlotte Graham-McLay,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026 -
In other footage, filmed farther down the driveway, automatic gunfire can be heard, while a third video taken at the same time shows thick black smoke emanating from the site.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kizer – their father – was on the phone with her and overheard parts of the spat.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
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According to Daniel Webster, the 19th century historian and statesman, Revere's ride happened because British plans to invade Lexington and Concord were overheard at the Green Dragon, which is open to this day.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The training does not stop after graduation from the academy—Recruits are put on a rigorous on-the-job training program that is tracked and monitored.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
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Sister Virginia Morrison fought with Mayor Thomas Menino and Steve Samuels to secure binding inclusion agreements at the Grove Hall Mecca Mall and monitored compliance daily.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But there’s no snow on the 101 Freeway near Thousand Oaks — which might come as a surprise to those who spied an errant travel alert from the California Department of Transportation.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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The moon's immense shadow was also spied by South Korea's GEO-KOMPSAT-2A weather satellite from its perch 22,370 miles (36,000 km) above Earth in geostationary orbit, close to the shadowy line of the night-day terminator.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
18 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Listened in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listened%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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