listening in (on)

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)
Verb
  • September was the first month that Iran loaded no crude onto tankers since maritime data tracking service Kpler began monitoring Iranian exports in 2013.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026
  • According to Iran Human Rights Monitor, the force has evolved into a powerful internal security institution involved in suppressing anti-government demonstrations, monitoring political activity and enforcing the regime's ideological restrictions.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In intimate groups of up to 10 women, hearing one woman growl can give another permission to do the same.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • His delight in working with actors, fencers, acrobats, musicians and our creative team is infectious, and there is such pleasure in hearing his delicious language come alive and discovering what his world can become on stage.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • It is understood Kering plans to build on the foundation left by Vaccarello, also spying additional opportunities in jewelry.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Invariably, the goal of this kind of espionage is to help key sectors in the spying country rapidly replicate or surpass American advances.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Morales recalled overhearing Ramirez on the phone in January confiding in someone about her troubled relationship.
    — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Digging a bit deeper, the study determined that while 57% of respondents would be creeped out by someone shoulder-surfing their screens, only 43% had a similar worry about people overhearing phone conversations.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 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

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

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