as in eavesdropping (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 listening in (on)
Verb
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The couple face another breakdown when their daughter, Sofia, gets taken into Child Services, which has been quietly monitoring the couple.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025 -
The team is also monitoring injuries for center Cade Mays (ankle) and right tackle Taylor Moton (knee).—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Expect to continue hearing a lot of rumors about the Cowboys in the coming days.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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By hearing the results of their entangled choices, users can gain a more concrete and intuitive grasp of these concepts.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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Dubai Reuters — An Iranian lower court handed heavy prison sentences to two French citizens charged with spying for France and Israel, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, a week after Paris and Tehran indicated progress in talks to release them.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The celebratory July 4 meal would certainly have kept the innkeeper, Daniel Smith, busy replenishing the finest bottles of Madeira from behind the locked bar—perhaps overhearing snippets of chatter among the delegates.—
Victoria Flexner,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
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In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly about reuniting with Home Improvement costar Tim Allen, 72, on Shifting Gears, Dunning recalled overhearing Allen entertaining the idea of bringing Pamela Anderson back to the series in some capacity.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Listening in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listening%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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