listening in (on)

verb

present participle of listen in (on)
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)
  1. monitoring
  2. hearing
  3. spying
  4. overhearing
Verb
  • Instead, forecasters are monitoring a recurrent coronal hole, an area where the sun’s magnetic field opens into space and allows faster solar wind to escape.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Officers continued monitoring the bear throughout the rescue, allowing first responders to safely treat and evacuate the injured hiker.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of monitoring
Verb
  • And then hearing Lane Johnson gush about Mannion’s scheme was interesting.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Veterinarians say consistency matters far more than hearing your voice.
    — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of hearing
Verb
  • 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
  • Turkish, Asian and Chinese brands flooded in at first, spying a once-in-a-generation opportunity to hoover up prime real estate.
    — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of spying
Verb
  • The last season ended with Alex overhearing Cole’s dramatic love confession to Jackie and a cliffhanger about patriarch George’s health.
    — Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Muraki admitted overhearing her comments about the home but denied handing a note during their first meeting.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of overhearing
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
listening in (on)
listening (to)
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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 4 Aug. 2026.

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